"Short stops": peer support of scholarly activity

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Academic Medicine
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Faculty face significant time constraints due to clinical and administrative duties, hindering scholarly pursuits.
• Scholarly work is often challenging to undertake in isolation, and structured opportunities for faculty collaboration are frequently absent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a supportive peer-group format to facilitate faculty scholarly activities.
• To overcome barriers to research and enhance productivity through regular, brief, and focused meetings.

Main Methods:

• Three faculty members initiated bi-monthly "short stop" meetings (approx. 1 hour) for peer support in scholarly work.
• Participants prepared for sessions, presented specific work aspects, and requested targeted input.
• Interim communication (email, phone) maintained momentum, optimizing the impact of short meetings.

Main Results:

• Implementation of "short stops" correlated with an increase in new scholarly projects, abstract submissions, national presentations, and journal submissions.
• Participants reported a belief in the direct positive impact of the "short stop" format on their productivity.
• An increase in resident research project mentoring by program participants was an observed, related outcome.

Conclusions:

• The "short stop" format appears effective in promoting active participation, sustaining interest, and achieving scholarly goals through mutual accountability.
• The model was successfully expanded to a larger division, with initial positive engagement and commitment to scholarly next steps.
• This peer-support model offers a feasible and effective strategy for enhancing faculty scholarly productivity within busy academic environments.