Promoting Resident Professional Development Using Scholarly Academies

Strengthening the clinical academic pathway: a systematic review of interventions to support clinical academic careers for doctors and dentists

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate existing evidence on interventions intended to increase recruitment, retention and career progression within clinical academic (CA) careers, including a focus on addressing inequalities.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials, PsycINFO and Education Resource Information Center searched October 2019.

STUDY SELECTION

Eligible studies included qualified doctors, dentists and/or those with a supervisory role. Outcomes were defined by studies and related to success rates of joining or continuing within a CA career.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Abstract screening was supported by machine learning software. Full-text screening was performed in duplicate, and study quality was assessed. Narrative synthesis of quantitative data was performed. Qualitative data were thematically analysed.

RESULTS

148 studies examined interventions; of which 28 were included in the quantitative synthesis, 17 in the qualitative synthesis and 2 in both. Studies lacked methodological rigour and/or were hindered by incomplete reporting. Most were from North America. No study included in the syntheses evaluated interventions aimed at CA dentists.Most quantitative evidence was from multifaceted training programmes. These may increase recruitment, but findings were less clear for retention and other outcomes. Qualitative studies reported benefits of supportive relationships, including peers and senior mentors. Protected time for research helped manage competing demands on CAs. Committed and experienced staff were seen as key facilitators of programme success. Respondents identified several other factors at a programme, organisational or national level which acted as facilitators or barriers to success. Few studies reported on the effects of interventions specific to women or minority groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing research is limited by rigour and reporting. Better evaluation of future interventions, particularly those intended to address inequalities, is required. Within the limits of the evidence, comprehensive multifaceted programmes of training, including protected time, relational and support aspects, appear most successful in promoting CA careers.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/mfy7a.

Structure and impact of longitudinal Graduate Medical Education curricula designed to prepare future clinician-educators: A systematic scoping review: BEME Guide No. 74

BACKGROUND

Many Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs offer clinician-educator curricula. The specific instructional methods employed and current best practices for clinician-educator curricula are unknown. We aimed to characterize the structure, curriculum content, instructional methods, and outcomes of longitudinal GME clinician-educator curricula.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review, registered with BEME, by comprehensively searching health science databases and related grey literature from January 2008 to January 2021 for studies involving longitudinal GME curricula aimed to train future clinician-educators.

RESULTS

From 9437 articles, 36 unique curricula were included in our review. Most curricula were designed for residents (n = 26) but were heterogeneous in structure, instructional methods, and content. Several curricular themes emerged, including: 1) duration ≥ 12 months, 2) application of theory-based didactics with experiential activities, 3) independent projects, 4) exposure to faculty mentorship and educator communities, 5) strengthening competencies beyond teaching and scholarship, and 6) protected time and funding. Most outcomes were positive and focused on learner satisfaction or behavior change related to scholarly output and career tracking.

CONCLUSIONS

Curricula in our review included important skills including experiential teaching, scholarly projects, and exposure to educator communities. Future curricula should build on these competencies and include more assessment of learner and program outcomes.