Evaluating the Career Impact of Faculty Development Using Matched Controls

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Faculty development (FD) is required for medical educators, yet few studies address its long-term career impact on graduates. This project presents the impact of FD on career development, as perceived by physician faculty graduates of a longitudinal primary care FD educator program, compared to nonenrollees. Methods: Between 2011 and 2016, 33 physician faculty from three departments participated in monthly half-day in-class FD for 20 months, emphasizing educator skills and career development. After physician-graduates were stratified by year, 10 were randomly selected and matched with 10 nonparticipants (controls) by specialty, gender, academic rank, and time in academic medicine. Narrative responses from semistructured interviews were recorded in a common template. Qualitative analysis methods identified themes, with agreement obtained by researchers. Results: Median time in academic medicine for FD graduates (50% male) was 5.5 years; controls 7.5 years (40% male). Common themes across all respondents included that they: value their roles as clinical teachers; define success as training high-quality, competent physicians; align their professional aims with organizational priorities; manage commitments; develop and sustain colleague networks; and seek continued growth. Within themes, FD graduates differed from controls, detailing greater perceived success and growth as educators, placing higher value on scholarly products and academic promotion, and having more expansive local and national colleague networks. Conclusions: FD graduates, compared to matched controls, report expanded clinician-educator scope and roles, and a greater value on scholarly activity. This evaluation provides the groundwork for further investigations.