OPTIMIZATION OF FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AT A DISTRIBUTED MEDICAL CAMPUS

Abstract

Background: Distributed Medical Education sites are satellites of large academic medical schools with faculty who are community-based physicians. These medical teachers need faculty development and there is little data about how this can best be delivered. This study asked the question: How can medical teaching expertise be developed and sustained at a Distributed Medical Education Campus? Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, a total of 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with faculty members at two DME site campuses in Southern Ontario, and two faculty development events, one at each site, were observed. Findings_ The communitWhat are the perceptions of faculty at a Distributed Medical Education site regarding effective and acceptable faculty development activities for improving their skills as medical educators? y in which a DME campus medical school is implanted is transformed through a process of interaction between learners, medical teachers, and the community itself, which results in the production of expert community teachers. Community based physicians can develop teaching expertise and require faculty development to maintain interest and skill. They can access high quality, relevant faculty development within their own practice groups, a model referred to as a Community of Practice. These communities can be virtual or in-person and need several elements to be successful, including facilitation and mentorship. Conclusion: Teaching experts can develop in a DME site when there is accessible, relevant faculty development, such as in a Community of Practice. More research is needed to determine the best way to reward community teachers, most of whom are part time faculty in private practice.