Strategies for creating a faculty fellowship in medical education: report of a 10-year experience

The authors present 10 strategies, plus challenges and opportunities, that have informed three well-established, yearlong medical education fellowships (defined as single cohorts of medical teaching faculty who participate in extended faculty development activities) during the period 1998 to 2008. These strategies include (1) defining an operating philosophy, values, and goals, (2) establishing a curriculum that reflects the roles and responsibilities of fellows and faculty, (3) employing a basic approach to adult learning, (4) striving to achieve a balance between stated objectives and openness of discussion, (5) creating optimum learning opportunities for the fellows to acquire and practice skills delineated in the curriculum, (6) fostering interdisciplinary communication, team development, and the creation of a learning community, (7) developing mindfulness and critical self-reflection, (8) systematically reviewing each session, (9) evaluating fellowship outcomes, and (10) planning for the future. This in-depth look presents both curricular content and process, providing a useful starting point from which those who develop and conduct educational faculty development activities at medical schools and academic medical centers may fashion and implement a local curriculum.