The magnificent seven: An assembly of educational opportunities within an academic hospital medicine program

Increasing clinical demands and a reduction in traditional teaching opportunities at academic medical centers threaten the ability of hospitalists to participate in their institution's educational mission. Hospitalists with teaching as part of their career focus benefit from faculty development or the creation of teaching activities to stimulate interest in academic medicine and overcome pre-existing barriers to education. Our large, multi-site hospital medicine division sought to engage hospitalists from various practice settings in educational opportunities to expand their skill sets as teachers. An Education Council introduced seven initiatives embedded with educator roles for faculty: clinicopathological conference, clinical vignette competition, Grand Rounds, peer observation of teaching, teaching competition, visiting professorship, and ward teacher workshop. Program opportunities generated directorships, faculty, and peer development roles. Multimodal assessment demonstrated increased attendance, evaluations, recognition, scholarship, and events over time. This innovative heptad of faculty educational opportunities within an academic hospital medicine program is feasible, effective, and scalable.