A decade of faculty development for health professions educators: lessons learned from the Macy Faculty Scholars...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Faculty Development
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• Faculty development programs are essential for advancing health professions education.
• The Macy Faculty Scholars Program (MFSP) aims to cultivate leaders, scholars, teachers, and mentors.
• An external evaluation assessed the MFSP's effectiveness after ten years.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Macy Faculty Scholars Program's success in meeting its goals.
• To identify strengths and areas for improvement in faculty development.
• To inform future faculty development initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Stufflebeam's CIPP (context, input, process, products) evaluation framework.
• Employed a mixed-methods approach with surveys and curriculum vitae (CV) analysis.
• Collected quantitative and qualitative data from program participants.

Main Results:

• Participants reported positive program experiences and increased academic productivity, particularly during the program.
• Mentorship, community of practice, and protected time were identified as significant strengths.
• Recommendations included enhancing participant diversity, leveraging technology, and increasing program flexibility.

Conclusions:

• The MFSP demonstrates success in faculty development and academic advancement.
• Evidence supports continued investment in faculty educators.
• Program improvements can enhance the impact of faculty development initiatives.