CREATING LEADERS IN FAMILY MEDICINE

Behavioral Science/Family Systems Educator Fellowship

This is a competitive, year-long fellowship experience designed for any family medicine faculty member who has responsibility for coordinating or teaching the behavioral science/family systems curriculum in their departments or residencies. Ideally suited for applicants with 5 or fewer years of experience as a faculty member, the fellowship includes a structured learning curriculum of core content and formalized mentoring that will enable participants to understand the medical culture and learn how to increase the value of integrating behavioral science and family systems core principles into the practice of family medicine. All fellows also complete a mentored scholarly project.

Emerging Leaders Program

Through the Emerging Leaders program, participants learn about leadership, with an emphasis on the self-reflection and self-awareness skills required of a good leader. This program is unique because each participant is immersed into the leadership experience from the first day, with actual experience selecting talent, chairing conference calls, motivating others, and leading. Participants in the Emerging Leader program complete a project that involves leading a group to complete a task or initiative for STFM. A personal coach offers each participant advice and feedback during his/her fellowship experience and through completion of a project.

Faculty for Tomorrow

Faculty for Tomorrow is a 2-year campaign to address the shortage of family medicine faculty. The campaign will focus on strategies to expand STFM’s formal faculty recruiting of residents, provide resources and training for new faculty, identify and support young family physicians with leadership potential, and ensure leaders of institutions understand the time and competencies required to be faculty.

Family Medicine Congressional Conference Scholars

Scholars will join Family Medicine Congressional Conference attendees in learning about the legislative process, current priorities for family medicine, and how they can take action and interact with legislators and health care leaders. Each scholar will also be connected to a mentor who will guide them as they prepare for the conference

Leading Change Curriculum

The Leading Change online curriculum was developed to educate and empower family medicine faculty to lead change within their institutions, larger surrounding environments, and their nation. The curriculum includes a series of 12 modules to help family medicine faculty, at all levels of their careers, plan for and implement change. Module topics include change leadership fundamentals, team building, change plan development, outcomes measurement, effective teamwork, and coaching skills.

The Medical Student Educators Development Institute (MSEDI)

The Institute is a year-long comprehensive learning experience designed to give faculty the skills to advance their career in medical student education. The Medical Student Educators Development Institute (MSEDI) teaches grant writing, negotiating, curriculum and exam development, student evaluation, as well as obtaining and managing resources and directing a clerkship. MSEDI participants forge enduring relationships, with both other participants as well as the Institute faculty, who support and guide them throughout their professional careers.

New Faculty Scholars

The New Faculty Scholars Award provides STFM members who are in their first 2 years as full-time faculty, and who exhibit outstanding leadership potential, the opportunity to attend the STFM Annual Spring Conference. Scholars receive exposure to discipline leaders and community-building activities that might not have occurred without the program.

Other STFM Leadership Opportunities

Regardless of where an individual is in their career path, there is a leadership role to fit varied interests and skills. Leadership opportunities include chairing a STFM special interest group, heading a task force, serving on a standing committee, or serving as a mentor, publication reviewer, fellowship faculty member, or a liaison to other organizations. There is an opportunity to fit each individual’s need, interest, and time commitment.

Creating organizational culture, managing change, recognizing the systems barriers to progress and opportunities for improvement require, among others, skills in negotiation, conflict management, and strategic thinking. Only by dedicated attention to acquiring, practicing, and implementing leadership skills can we hope to develop effective leaders for family medicine.