Beyond reflection: using the clinician educator milestones in faculty development

Faculty in academic medicine face increasing clinical and research demands, often limiting time for professional development and identity formation as educators. The ACGME Clinician Educator Milestones offer a structured framework for reflection and self-assessment, but their usefulness for broader applications such as needs assessment and program evaluation remains unexplored. We examined the potential of a milestone-based survey to support program evaluation and needs assessment in faculty development, and to gather preliminary validity evidence for its use beyond self-reflection.

We adapted the ACGME Clinician Educator Milestones into a 20-item survey across four domains: Educational Theory and Practice, Well-Being, Welcoming Learning Environment, and Administration. The survey was administered to three cohorts of interprofessional faculty development participants. Cohort1 (n = 6) completed the survey post-program; Cohort2 (pre n = 10, post n = 14) received an enhanced educator identity curriculum; Cohort3 (n = 27) participated in an international immersive program. Responses were rated on a 6-point proficiency scale. Descriptive statistics and MANOVA were used to analyze changes in self-assessed competence for Cohort2.

All cohorts used the full range of proficiency levels. Cohort2 showed significant improvement from pre- to post-program (Wilks' Lambda = .123; F = 3.207; p = .038). Domains emphasized in the curriculum - such as teaching fundamentals and learning environments - showed the greatest gains. Lower scores were consistently observed in administration and change management.

Preliminary findings support the use of the milestone-based survey for program evaluation and needs assessment in faculty development. Improvements aligned with curricular emphasis suggest content validity, while similar results across culturally distinct cohorts support external validity. Further research is warranted to explore the relationship between self-assessed competence and educator identity formation as well as the validity of use beyond reflection.