Language
English
Publication Date
8-1-2024
Journal
Medical Science Educator
DOI
10.1007/s40670-024-02036-6
PMID
39099850
PMCID
PMC11296987
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
5-2-2024
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Introduction: Historically, the requirement to produce scholarship for advancement has challenged health professions educators heavily engaged in teaching. As biomedical scientists or healthcare practitioners, few are trained in educational scholarship, and related faculty development varies in scope and quality across institutions. Currently, there is a need for faculty development and mentoring programs to support the development of these skills.
Methods: The International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) established the Medical Educator Fellowship (MEF) Program to foster health professions educational scholarship. MEF addresses the following: curriculum design, teaching methods and strategies, assessment, educational scholarship, and leadership. Participants receive mentorship and faculty development, and complete an educational scholarship project. Using a logic model, we conducted a retrospective program evaluation with data from Program records, database searches, graduate surveys, and focus groups.
Results: Over 14 years, MEF graduated 61 participants with diverse terminal degrees from five continents and six academic program areas. Graduate survey responses indicated enhanced post-Program skills in all focus areas, that the majority would recommend MEF to a colleague, and that mentorship, networking, and professional development were strengths. Focus group outcomes indicated professional growth, increased confidence, and increased sense of community.
Conclusion: MEF addresses health professions educators' need for faculty development and mentorship in educational scholarship. Evaluation outcomes suggest that MEF effectively enhanced perceived skills across focus areas. Similar programs are essential to support faculty who dedicate significant time to teaching. Organizations like IAMSE can demonstrate the value of educational scholarship and positively impact health professions educator careers by supporting such programs.
Keywords
Faculty development, Program evaluation, Educational scholarship, Fellowship program, Professional development, Mentoring
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Heck, Amber J; Arja, Sateesh; Bauler, Laura D; et al., "Evaluation of an Educational Scholarship Fellowship Program for Health Professions Educators" (2024). Faculty and Staff Publications. 3972.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/3972