Becoming clinical supervisors: identity learnings from a registrar faculty development program.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professional Development
• Workplace Learning Theory

Background:

• Faculty development programs aim to enhance clinical supervisor skills.
• Registrars participating in a 12-week program reported high satisfaction.
• A key goal was to foster supervisor identity, which appeared unmet.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a faculty development program for registrars as clinical supervisors.
• To evaluate the program's effectiveness in developing supervisor identity.
• To identify challenges and offer recommendations for improving faculty development.

Main Methods:

• Development, implementation, and evaluation of a 12-week faculty development program.
• Analysis of participant feedback and program outcomes over three cohorts.
• Critical appraisal of the program using recent evidence and workplace learning theory.

Main Results:

• The program was consistently highly rated by participants.
• Registrars showed improved knowledge, application, and readiness as supervisors.
• Challenges persisted in developing a supervisor identity and managing dual roles.

Conclusions:

• Faculty development programs are crucial for professional identity formation.
• Current programs may not adequately address the complexities of supervisor identity.
• Recommendations include considering both individual and social perspectives in program design.