Health Educators and Academic Leaders: A Developmental, Principles-Focused Program Evaluation Approach for Aspiring...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Faculty Development
• Academic Medicine

Background:

• Aspiring clinician educators (CEs) require structured training and community support for academic role transitions.
• The Health Educators and Academic Leaders (HEAL) program was established in 2021 to provide this support.
• HEAL integrates principles of communities of practice (CoP) and innovative curricular design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of the HEAL program.
• To utilize a principles-focused program evaluation approach.

Main Methods:

• The HEAL curriculum followed the Kern 6-step approach, including seminars, reflective portfolios, mentorship, and video-based coaching (VBC).
• A 2-year program focused on CoP, reflective practice, and innovative curricula (e.g., CE milestones).
• Developmental evaluation with mixed methods (surveys, focus groups) informed iterative program refinements from 2021-2023.

Main Results:

• The inaugural HEAL cohort had a 92.9% completion rate across 9 disciplines.
• Year 1 trainees valued VBC sessions (70%) but found the Clinician Educator Self-Assessment Toolkit (CESAT) least valuable (80%).
• Year 2 trainees reported improved confidence (89%), valuing real-time feedback over milestone-based tools.

Conclusions:

• The HEAL program's principle-centered approach and developmental evaluation foster curricular innovation.
• The program effectively increases the confidence of clinician educator graduates.
• Sustained innovation and positive outcomes demonstrate the program's success in CE development.