Identifying Faculty Development Needs of Basic Science and Clinical Faculty in Preparation for Curriculum Change

Curriculum design is an iterative process that medical schools undertake to assess, adapt, and improve existing curricula. Need assessments are a foundational component in this process because they help identify concerns requiring attention. However, needs assessments historically have focused on students, with minimal emphasis on faculty needs. During our institution's curricular design process, faculty participated in listening sessions that identified their concerns.

Participants were recruited to participate in semistructured interviews via Zoom. Inductive and deductive processes were used to identify key thematic codes based on interview responses. Codes were then stratified to identify representative quotations within each theme.

Twenty-four faculty members participated - 8 basic science faculty and 16 clinical faculty. Most expressed excitement about the potential of the new curriculum but also shared concerns about implementation. Time was the most significant concern, with faculty citing current workloads as a primary challenge. Uncertainty regarding roles and the implementation timeline was another concern. Other frequently discussed themes included clinical reasoning, critical thinking skills, facilitator availability, and experience with new teaching techniques.

Semistructured interviews were effective for identifying faculty concerns that can inform future faculty development programs. Not surprisingly, concerns about time - particularly time for required faculty development - and uncertainty about roles were most prominent. These findings enabled the curricular leadership team to prioritize the development of efficient and targeted faculty development programs.