Implementing a Holistic Review Toolkit for Faculty Recruitment and Retention

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Workforce Diversity

Background:

• Diverse workforces enhance healthcare, education, and research.
• Historically excluded groups remain underrepresented in academic medicine faculty.
• Academic medical centers require resources for faculty recruitment and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot and assess a toolkit for faculty recruitment and retention in academic medicine.
• To adapt holistic review principles from medical student admissions to faculty hiring.

Main Methods:

• The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) developed a holistic review toolkit.
• Five academic medical centers conducted 2.5-3 hour workshops using the toolkit.
• Surveys assessed faculty satisfaction and perceptions of the toolkit during implementation.

Main Results:

• The toolkit received high ratings for helpfulness (3.2-4.4) and ease of use (3.5-4.9) in initial surveys.
• Subsequent surveys showed continued positive ratings for helpfulness (3.0-4.8).
• Qualitative feedback noted varied implementation strategies and minimal barriers, primarily faculty reluctance towards scripted tools.

Conclusions:

• The faculty recruitment and retention toolkit was well-received and easy to implement.
• Further study is needed to evaluate the toolkit's impact on faculty diversity across institutions.