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Facilitating scholarly writing in academic medicine
Linda Pololi1, Sharon Knight, Kathleen Dunn
1Women's Studies Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. polio@earthlink.net
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|January 30, 2004
Summary
Faculty in academic medicine often lack scholarly writing instruction. A faculty development program improved writing skills and productivity, with all participants completing at least one manuscript.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Academic Medicine
- Scholarly Writing
Background:
- Scholarly writing is essential for academic medicine faculty.
- Formal writing instruction is infrequently provided to faculty.
- Faculty development programs can address this educational gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a writing and faculty development program for assistant professors.
- To assess the program's impact on writing knowledge, skills, and productivity.
- To identify participant experiences and perceived barriers to scholarly writing.
Main Methods:
- A 7-month program with monthly sessions embedded in a Collaborative Mentoring Program (CMP).
- Participants (18 assistant professors) identified writing barriers, developed strategies, and set writing contracts.
- Qualitative data collected through open-ended responses and audiotaped interviews analyzed using data reduction and verification.
Main Results:
- The program provided necessary knowledge, skills, and support to enhance writing productivity.
- All 18 participants successfully completed at least one scholarly manuscript by program's end.
- Participants reported improved writing strategies and overcame identified barriers.
Conclusions:
- The writing program effectively facilitated scholarly writing productivity among assistant professors.
- The program's structured approach and mentoring component were key to success.
- Long-term follow-up is needed to evaluate sustained academic productivity.