An Innovative, Collaborative, and Transformative Program to Enhance Off-Campus Clinical Faculty Engagement.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Faculty Development
• Community Engagement

Background:

• Off-campus clinical faculty are crucial for medical education but face challenges like poor communication and lack of recognition.
• Existing faculty appointments offer limited incentives that often do not outweigh clinical and non-clinical demands.
• Medical schools need innovative strategies to effectively engage and retain volunteer clinical faculty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the establishment and impact of an Office of Faculty Engagement (OFE) initiative.
• To improve communication, resource access, and recognition for off-campus faculty (OCF).
• To enhance OCF satisfaction and involvement in medical education.

Main Methods:

• Rebranded volunteer clinical faculty as Off-Campus Faculty (OCF).
• Implemented engagement strategies: personalized communication, dedicated support, user-friendly website, orientations, development programs, and recognition events.
• Contacted 587 OCF members between August 2021 and December 2023.

Main Results:

• 85 faculty members reported improved communication through the OFE initiative.
• The initiative streamlined interactions and personalized the engagement experience for OCF.
• Enhanced faculty satisfaction and involvement in medical education activities.

Conclusions:

• An Office of Faculty Engagement (OFE) can effectively address challenges faced by off-campus faculty (OCF).
• Personalized engagement strategies and tailored rewards significantly improve OCF satisfaction and participation.
• This model offers a transformative approach to integrating OCF into medical school governance and education.