New faculty orientation in North American medical schools

Little is known about common elements or "best practices" of new faculty orientation (NFO) programs in medical schools.

The objective was to examine school-wide NFO programs in North American medical schools.

We reviewed the literature and conducted a web-based survey. Analyses included descriptive statistics and content analysis.

We found little evidence of "best practices." Of the 106 responding schools (106/148=71.62%), 72 (67.9%) reported some type of school-wide NFO program. The typical program was organized by an Office of Faculty Affairs or Faculty Development, targeted broad goals, 4 to 8 hour long, offered early in the academic year, and used 2 or more presentation formats (e.g., oral, print).

Based on the literature, this study appears to be the first comprehensive description of NFO programs in medical schools. Multiple types of NFO are needed to accommodate the diversity of faculty and faculty responsibilities. School-wide programs may serve best to develop institutional affiliation and collegiality.