Advances in Medical Education and Practice (Feb 2022)
Measuring the Impact of a Faculty Development Program on Clinical Educators
Abstract
Balakrishnan R Nair, Conor Gilligan, Brian Jolly School of Medicine and Public Health, and Academy of Clinical Educators, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, AustraliaCorrespondence: Conor GilliganSchool of Medicine and Public Health, and Academy of Clinical Educators, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia, Tel +61240420553, Email [email protected]: An Academy of Clinical Educators (ACE) was established at the University of Newcastle, to support and build capacity among existing and prospective medical educators. ACE established a Certificate of Clinical Teaching and Supervision (CCTS) program, the final assessment of which was a reflective piece on how the course has affected participants’ practice as clinical teachers or supervisors and how changes are expected to impact learner achievement. We conducted a qualitative evaluation of these to explore the impact of the CCTS on participants’ teaching.Methods: Thirty-one participants (of 90 completers to date) consented for their written reflections to undergo qualitative thematic analysis and completed a survey exploring their preparation for, and experience of the program, and application of skills learnt.Results: Most participants reported applying the skills gained through the CCTS to their teaching practice to a large (n=23; 72%) or very large (n=5; 16%) extent. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data, aligned with the topics of the CCTS: teaching structure; feedback; orientation; and assessment. Participants described application of more structured approaches to orientation, teaching and feedback, positive student responses, and self-reported satisfaction with adopted changes.Discussion: The CCTS has motivated change in the teaching practice of participants. Although evidence presented here is limited by the self-reported nature, descriptions of actual changes in practice were detailed and specific enough to suggest they could act as a proxy for objectively measured change in behaviour and outcome.Conclusion: A faculty development program delivered to clinicians with a range of teaching and education-related roles, from varied clinical disciplines and professions, can promote improved, structured teaching and feedback.Keywords: clinical education, faculty development, feedback, supervision, assessment
