Curriculum-based Faculty Training in Networking: Knowledge and Self-efficacy Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Academic Medicine
• Faculty Development
• Professional Networking

Background:

• Most faculty lack knowledge of active participation in developmental networks.
• Institutions struggle to teach effective networking best practices.
• This gap hinders faculty career advancement, especially for underrepresented groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a curriculum-based faculty training program in developmental networks.
• To assess the effectiveness of the Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) platform for this training.
• To address the critical literature gap in faculty networking skills.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post study involving 33 faculty members.
• An eight-module curriculum with didactic sessions, case studies, and readings.
• Measurement of knowledge scores and self-efficacy (0-100 scale).
• Analysis using paired t-tests and mixed model regression.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in knowledge scores for 4 of 8 modules (mean change 0.4-0.8, p≤0.03).
• Overall correct knowledge items increased from 49.8% to 64.3% (p<0.001).
• Significant increases in self-efficacy scores across all 8 modules (mean change 17-37, p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Curriculum-based training is crucial for enhancing faculty networking skills.
• The ECHO-based program effectively improved networking knowledge and self-efficacy.
• The training model is scalable and adaptable for other institutions to implement.