Strengthening Faculty Development through Regional and Global Collaboration: An Innovative Virtual Program in...

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Medical Education
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Cambodia experiences critical shortages of physicians and faculty, impacting medical training and reform efforts.
• Resource-limited settings require innovative faculty development to bridge educational gaps and support reform.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel virtual faculty development program designed to enhance medical education in Cambodia through regional and global collaboration.

Main Methods:

• A six-workshop virtual program was delivered between August and September 2023.
• Targeted basic science faculty in the pre-clinical curriculum, focusing on integrated teaching, case-based learning, and assessment.
• Involved regional (Vietnam) and international (United States) collaboration and expertise.

Main Results:

• Over 80% voluntary attendance was achieved without financial incentives.
• Participants reported high satisfaction with the workshop content and virtual format.
• Trained faculty successfully created and utilized integrated clinical cases in their teaching.

Conclusions:

• Virtual, partnership-driven faculty development is a feasible and beneficial model for resource-constrained settings.
• Leveraging regional and international expertise effectively addresses local challenges in medical education.
• This initiative successfully strengthened faculty capacity in Cambodian medical education.