Deficiencies in Faculty Educator Development: A Survey Perspective from the Emergency Department

Faculty development is crucial to sustaining medical education excellence, yet structured, targeted approaches remain limited in emergency medicine. This study explores emergency physicians' perceptions of their educator roles and identifies faculty development needs in Singapore.

A cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted from March to June 2024 across three emergency departments. Emergency physicians (associate consultant level and above) rated familiarity, confidence, and perceived importance of 12 educator roles based on the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) framework. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software.

Sixty-two emergency physicians participated. Familiarity with AMEE educator roles was low (Mean = 2.24, standard deviation [SD] = 1.155), but confidence in clinical teaching roles was moderate to high (Mean = 3.90, SD = 0.670). Most of the respondents (71%) identified primarily as engaging educators. Confidence increased with years of experience, with a majority (54.8%) gaining confidence within 3-5 years. Lower confidence was reported in curriculum development, technology-enhanced learning, and academic leadership domains.

Emergency physicians in Singapore are confident clinical educators but less familiar with broader educational roles. Faculty development initiatives should address gaps in curriculum planning, educational leadership, and technology integration. Recommendations such as structured pathways, longitudinal mentorship, and protected time for more educator responsibilities are critical to supporting professional growth and enhancing educational excellence.