Faculty Development Initiatives in Academic Dentistry: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Dental Education Research
• Faculty Development Programs
• Academic Medicine

Background:

• Faculty development is crucial for academic dental institutions.
• Understanding the landscape of published research on dental faculty development is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review published articles on dental faculty development.
• To identify program types, locations, and publication years.
• To assess evaluated programs using the Kirkpatrick model.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and ERIC databases in 2016.
• Multi-stage screening by three reviewers (title, abstract, full text).
• Data extraction from 70 selected articles, with a subset assessed by the Kirkpatrick model.

Main Results:

• The majority of the 70 articles focused on faculty development initiatives (n=49) and were from U.S. academic institutions.
• Publication peaks occurred in 1991, 2007, and 2011.
• Of 12 articles assessed with the Kirkpatrick model, most evaluated learner reaction, learning, and behavior, with few assessing organizational change (Level 4).

Conclusions:

• A diverse body of literature exists on dental faculty development, primarily from U.S. dental schools.
• There is a significant need for research encompassing more institutions.
• Further studies should employ methodologies that assess broader organizational impacts (Kirkpatrick Level 4).