Influences on and Characteristics of the Professional Identity Formation of Clinician Educators: A Qualitative Analysis

Community-Powered Learning: A Qualitative Analysis of Postgraduate Medical Trainee Development Through Journal Club

BACKGROUND

Journal clubs are a core feature of postgraduate medical education. They are used to teach critical appraisal skills and evidence-based medicine to postgraduate trainees. Studies have been carried out examining the purpose and goals of journal club, but with minimal input from learners. Thus, the research question was devised, 'why do postgraduate trainees find journal clubs effective for their continuous professional development and what underlying processes facilitate their learning and engagement in these settings?'

METHODS

A qualitative study was designed to capture the opinions of the learners when considering learning through journal club. Semi-structured interviews were felt to be most appropriate to allow participants to explore freely how they learn from journal club as well as the aspects of the club that support or hinder learning. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

21 interviews were conducted within two departments in adjoining hospitals. There were 6 consultants, 9 registrars and 6 SHOs interviewed. The median (IQR) interview time was 23.5 (19.5-27.3) minutes. The themes identified were committed participation, with subthemes of habit formation and positive environment, and transformative participation, with subthemes of emerging leaders and shared experience.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

The themes identified from our interviews align with principles of communities of practice and legitimate peripheral participation. Regular meetings in a positive learning environment are vital. Mutual engagement and role modelling contribute hugely to trainee learning from journal club, through the development of relationships between junior and senior members in the preparation, delivery and discussion of literature.

Professional identity, pivotal moments, and influences: Implications for preceptor development

INTRODUCTION

Preceptors are critical in training learners and supporting learner professional identity formation (PIF). This manuscript describes pharmacist preceptors' professional identities (PI), pivotal moments and influences that shaped those PIs, and how this impacts their precepting to inform future preceptor development.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews with experienced preceptors from five experiential education programs were transcribed and analyzed. An abductive approach was used for coding, followed by thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-two participants from various settings described their PI as a medication specialist, care provider, safeguard, educator, and/or manager. Six themes were recognized across the interview question data as critical to forming professional identity. These included: common elements among pharmacists' PIs such as being a medication-related problem solver (theme 1) and helping/serving others (theme 2); a connection between preceptor identity and participant precepting practices (theme 3); and the importance of role models (theme 4), practicing autonomy (theme 5) and being treated as a pharmacist (theme 6) in developing the participants' PI.

DISCUSSION

These findings suggest that preceptor development could focus on introducing the concept of PIF, build an understanding of the importance of role models and pivotal moments in supporting PIF, and support the development of preceptor identity as a clinician, educator, or teacher.

CONCLUSION

Critically, the findings from this analysis suggest that a preceptor's PI can influence how they precept, the types of experiences they facilitate for learners, and the norms and values they model. These findings will inform future preceptor development programs about their learner's PIF.

Prioritising Competencies in Clinician Educator Training in Residency Programmes

INTRODUCTION

Although Clinician Educator Tracks (CETs) have been developed for postgraduate trainees, more clarity is needed regarding which competencies are most relevant to resident and fellow physicians (housestaff) seeking to become Clinician Educators (CEs).

METHODS

We used the Clinician Educator Milestones, an established framework for competencies at the faculty level, to perform a targeted needs assessment at a large academic institution from April-May 2023. Educational leaders in undergraduate (UME), graduate (GME) and senior medical education (SME) leadership roles were asked to prioritise the Clinician Educator Milestones subcompetencies for a 1-year track. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were performed; text comments underwent content analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 285 leaders, 118 (41%) completed the survey. The average length in educational leadership was 6.9 ± 5.6 years, with 33% having formal education training, 23% representing surgical specialities and 17% in SME roles. The subcompetencies of learner assessment and feedback were prioritised highest (86%), while change management was prioritised lowest (23%). Respondents in SME roles compared to UME and GME roles or those in educational leadership ≥ 6 years compared to < 6 years prioritised professionalism. Respondents without formal education training prioritised medical education scholarship more often than those with training. Surgical respondents more often prioritised administrative skills than nonsurgical respondents. Open-ended comments were generally positive towards a CET for housestaff, suggesting a hybrid format with flexible scheduling.

CONCLUSIONS

Teaching-oriented subcompetencies were highly prioritised for a CET targeted at housestaff. The prioritisation choices offer guidance for a CE's progression through the subcompetencies.

Fostering the clinician as teacher: A realist review

BACKGROUND

Clinician-teachers, physicians with educational responsibilities in either classroom or clinical setting, are assumed to add value by virtue of their dual role. The clinical responsibilities are often prioritised over the educational tasks. How and under which circumstances clinician-teachers are able to perform their educational role and create added value for different stakeholders is currently unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To identify for whom, how and under which circumstances educational activities executed by CTs by virtue of their dual role add value to others.

SCOPE

CTs activities linking the system of education and clinical practice beyond direct patient interactions and purposefully executed.

METHODS

A realist review was conducted. Databases were searched in two stages: a narrow conventional search, followed by a comprehensive artificial intelligence-aided search. Studies concerning clinician-teachers' dual role were included. Realist analysis was applied to identify in which contexts resource mechanisms triggered reasoning mechanisms, which led to specific outcomes for different stakeholders.

RESULTS

Sixty-six studies were included. In contexts where clinician-teachers' dual role was formally recognised and valued, clinician-teachers benefitted from the credibility and legitimacy bestowed on them, making the transfer of domain-specific knowledge more impactful. In contexts where sociocultural differences between both systems existed, CTs were able to mediate and adjust recommendations aligned with stakeholders' perceived relevance. Also, contexts organised to support both roles made resource mechanisms more impactful. Clinician-teachers added value to students' clinical competency and learning environment, and to educational organisations' curricular innovation. In their clinical workspace, clinician-teachers added value by enhancing colleague physicians' teaching expertise, implementing educational innovations and recruiting students for scarce specialisms.

CONCLUSION

Clinician-teachers add value to students, colleague physicians and the clinical and educational contexts at large. Domain-specific knowledge of both systems was important to gain credibility and achieve added value. Openness, formal recognition and allocated time for both roles in educational and clinical contexts towards the dual role are important to strengthen the impact of the dual role.

Transition experiences of UK junior doctors who leave clinical practice to pursue careers in medical education: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

The increasing complexity and scale of medical education in the UK demands increasing numbers of medical educators. A small proportion of educators are qualified doctors, but did not reach completion of clinical training (CCT) to become consultants or general practitioners before pursuing a career exclusively in education. This study aimed to (1) explore the experiences of medical educators who left clinical practice as junior doctors and (2) identify the barriers to professional identity formation in this group.

DESIGN

In this constructivist qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical educators. Audio data was recorded, transcribed and iteratively interpreted through the lens of reflexive thematic analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Nine UK-based educators were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Participants self-identified as medical educators who have experience of the transition from working as junior clinicians to holding positions exclusively in medical education. Participants had not completed clinical training before transitioning into medical education.

RESULTS

Three broad themes were identified: (1) push factors away from clinical medicine; (2) pull factors towards medical education; (3) navigating professional identity formation as an educator. Educators reported that medical education offered positives such as improved work-life balance, professional development opportunities and a sense of being more 'upstream' in the world of education. Significant barriers to successful transition were reported, including: a lack of guidance; low respect for medical education by the wider medical profession; and disparity between the educational opportunities afforded to consultant colleagues compared with educators who left medicine before CCT.

CONCLUSIONS

Educators who leave clinical medicine before CCT perceive themselves as being disadvantaged in their education careers. This study highlights that more could be done to tackle stigmatising perceptions of a medical education career and present medical education as a viable option to junior doctors.

Developing a Career as a Clinician-Educator in Breast Imaging

For the breast imaging radiologist, developing a career as a clinician-educator can be accomplished in a number of ways. Whether it be a new graduate or perhaps a radiologist making a midcareer or late-career pivot to the academic world, there are several opportunities and resources that can support a faculty member at any stage in this journey. In this article, the breast imaging radiologist will learn a variety of methods to strengthen their professional identity and career path as a clinician-educator through the early-, mid-, and late-career professional journey.

Medical Educator Perceptions of Faculty Effort and Intent to Stay in Academic Medicine

Purpose

Core roles of medical school faculty are increasingly diverse, substantial, and evolving. In alignment with this dynamic nature of medical education, faculty effort should be accurately appraised, constantly evaluated, and rewarded to ensure faculty satisfaction and promote a culture of belonging. The study goal was to examine the imbalance in official assignments and perceptions of medical school faculty effort in various educator domains.

Materials and Methods

An 80-item survey was designed to collect quantitative and qualitative measures of faculty perceptions of effort. Survey questions collected data on faculty demographics, intent to stay, and perceptions of effort in the following educator domains: teaching, educational leadership and administration, research and scholarship, and service. A mixed methods approach was utilized in data analysis.

Results

Eighty-eight complete survey responses were collected between February and May of 2022 from respondents from 27 states. There was a significant disparity between assigned and perceived effort in the educator domains of teaching, research, and service (P < 0.01). Faculty satisfaction with percent effort dedicated to teaching significantly correlated with intent to stay (P < 0.05). Satisfaction with workload assignments was higher with advanced academic rank and male gender. Qualitative analysis identified many key themes in the categories of promotion, workload, resources, and retention.

Conclusions

Our study revealed that satisfaction with workload directly correlates with intent to stay, and principles of equitable workload distribution are violated from the perspective of the medical educator. This data provides critical information that can be used to assist medical schools in developing metrics to evaluate faculty performance in medical education and improve retention in academic medicine.

Personality portraits, resilience, and professional identity among nursing students: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The lack of professional identity can impede the transition from nursing students to qualified nurses and exacerbate the shortage of health care professionals. Personality is important to resilience-building and professional identity development in nursing students. However, the associations among personality, resilience, and professional identity are less explored. The study aims to identify latent subtypes of personality, to evaluate the mediating role of resilience between personality and professional identity in nursing students, and to provide practical guidance for educators' subsequent interventions with nursing students' professional identity.

METHODS

1397 nursing students were recruited from Be Resilient to Nursing Career (BRNC) between October 2020 and April 2022 by cluster sampling from 4 universities in China. NEO Five-Factor Inventory, 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Professional Identity Questionnaire for Undergraduate Students were administered. Analyses of latent profiles and mediations were performed.

RESULTS

Three latent personality types were identified: Over-sensitivity (35.4%), Ordinary (53.8%), and Flexibility (10.8%). Nursing role model was found to be a significant indicator of personality (Ordinary as ref, Over-sensitivity: OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.93, P = 0.010; Flexibility: OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.29-2.65, P = 0.001). The association between personality portraits and professional identity were significantly mediated by resilience (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

There exists heterogeneity in nursing students' personality. Resilience plays a significant role in mediating the relationship between personality and professional identity.

Veterinary Curriculum Leaders: Motivators, Barriers, and Attributes

Curriculum leaders (individuals with responsibility for an institution's veterinary curriculum) play a vital role in driving local curriculum priorities, development, and accreditation. This study aimed to describe the career paths of curriculum leaders and identify what motivates them, the barriers they face, and the knowledge, skills, and attributes they perceive as essential for the role. Self-determination theory was used to identify tensions experienced within the role. An international online survey targeted at those identifying as curriculum leaders was completed by 45 participants. 91% of participants held a doctoral level qualification and/or clinical Boards; 82% had additional training in leadership; 38% had additional formal training in education. Motivators included a desire to make a difference, personal satisfaction with teaching and working with students, and social influences. Participants experienced barriers relating to self-development and achievement of their curriculum goals; participants described essential knowledge (of the profession, educational theory, and wider higher education context) and skills (leading teams, change management, and communication). Attributes considered important related both to self (open-minded, patient, resilient, able to see the big picture as well as detail) and relationships with others (approachable, listener, respectful and respected, supportive, credible). Tensions arose in participants' need for autonomy (experiencing barriers to achieving their goals), in their social relatedness (achieving curriculum goals while working with colleagues with conflicting priorities), and in perceptions of necessary competence (a need, but lack of opportunity, for advanced training in educational theory). The findings may help institutions more effectively support and train current and future curriculum leaders.

How community and organizational culture interact and affect senior clinical educator identity

PURPOSE

The development of Educator Identity has a significant impact on well-being, motivation, productivity, and the quality of teaching. Previous research has shown that conflicting responsibilities and a challenging work environment could negatively affect the development of Clinical Educator Identity within an organization. However, there is a lack of research that identifies the factors affecting Clinical Educator Identity Formation and provides guidance on how organizations can support its development, maintenance, and advancement.

METHODS

To examine the phenomenology of Professional Identity Development in experienced Senior Clinical Educators in Singaporean hospitals, the study utilized an exploratory qualitative approach. The data was collected from September 2021 to May 2022 through one-to-one interviews. Four investigators analyzed the data using constant comparative analysis to identify relevant themes.

RESULTS

Eleven senior educators revealed that personal, relational, and organizational factors influenced the development of Clinical Educator Identity. The relational aspect was a vital enabler, while organizational culture was a strong barrier. The study also identified several ways in which organizations can support Educator Identity development.

CONCLUSION

The study findings provide insight into how organizations can support the development of Clinical Educator Identity. The results could aid organizations in understanding the areas where they can channel resources to support Clinical Educator Identity development.

Flipping the expert: faculty educator sensemaking during transition to an active learning-based curriculum

PURPOSE

Curricular change is becoming a standard feature of medical schools as they respond to learners' evolving needs. Implementing change is not always straightforward, however, especially when it directly shifts the expected roles of faculty educators. The authors investigated how faculty educators navigated a significant transition to the Active, Competency-Based, and Excellence-Driven (ACE) curriculum at one state medical school.

METHOD

The authors employed a qualitative descriptive design and conducted thematic analysis. From June 2018 to January 2019, the authors conducted individual, in-depth interviews with faculty educators and administrators involved in first-year medical student education. Data were analyzed inductively to identify the sensemaking process for faculty.

RESULTS

Twenty-one faculty educators participated in interviews averaging 58 min. Four phases were identified among educators as they moved through the change: (1) Making Sense of the Change; (2) Grieving the Lecturer Educator Role; (3) Risking an Active Learning Educator Role; and (4) Identifying the Rewards of Active Learning-based Teaching.

CONCLUSION

Faculty buy-in is an essential component of successful curricular change implementation. While most faculty in this study reported eventual enjoyment from the new interactional teaching that fostered critical thinking, navigating the change was not always smooth. This study suggests faculty development around curricular change should be tailored to address the varying faculty concerns relevant to the four phases that were identified. Effective and optimal faculty support during large-scale curricular change must take into account not just new skills but also the grief and risk faculty may experience as their roles shift.

An Exploration of Pediatricians' Professional Identities: A Q-Methodology Study

Professional identities may influence a wide range of attitudes, ethical standards, professional commitments and patient safety. This study aimed to explore the important elements that comprise pediatricians' professional identities. A Q-methodology was used to identify the similarities and differences in professional identity. Forty pediatricians were recruited from two tertiary referral hospitals in Taiwan. A list of statements was developed by five attending physicians and three residents. R software was used to analyze the Q-sorts to load the viewpoints and formulate the viewpoint arrays. Additional qualitative data-one-to-one personal interviews-were analyzed. Twenty-eight of forty pediatricians, 11 males and 17 females, with an average age of 39.9 (27-62) years, were associated with four viewpoints. We labeled the four viewpoints identified for professional identity as (1) professional recognition, (2) patient communication, (3) empathy and (4) insight. The professional recognition viewpoint comprised of youngest participants-28-36 years-with the majority as residents (77.8%), while the empathy viewpoint comprised the oldest participants-38-62 years-with all as attending physicians. All participants in the empathy and insight viewpoints were married. This study found professional identity to be a multifaceted concept for pediatricians, especially in the areas of professional recognition, patient communication, empathy and insight into patient care.

Professional Identity Formation of Basic Science Medical Educators: A Qualitative Study of Identity Supports and Threats

PURPOSE

Basic science medical educators (BSME) play a vital role in the training of medical students, yet little is known about the factors that shape their professional identities. This multi-institutional qualitative study investigated factors that support and threaten the professional identity formation (PIF) of these medical educators.

METHOD

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with a purposive sample of 58 BSME from 7 allopathic medical schools in the U.S. In-depth semi-structured interviews of individual BSME were conducted between December 2020 and February 2021 to explore the facilitators and barriers shaping the PIF of BSME. Thematic analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

Factors shaping PIF were grouped into 3 broad domains: personal, social, and structural. Interrelated themes described a combination of factors that pushed BSME into teaching (early or positive teaching experiences) and kept them there (satisfaction and rewards of teaching, communities of like-minded people), as well as factors that challenged their PIF (misunderstanding from medical students, clinical, and research faculty, lack of formal training programs, and lack of tenure-track educator positions). The structural environment was reported to be crucial for PIF and determined whether BSME felt that they belonged and were valued.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that although most BSME derive a sense of fulfillment and meaning from their role as medical educators, they face considerable obstacles during their PIF. Structural change and support are needed to increase recognition, value, promotion, and belonging for BSME to improve the satisfaction and retention of this important group of faculty.

The Making of an Educator: Professional Identity Formation Among Graduate Medical Education Faculty Through Situated Learning Theory

INTRODUCTION

Professional identity formation (PIF) is a foundational element to professional medical education and training. Given the impact of faculty role models and mentors to student and trainee learning, mapping the landscape of PIF among faculty takes on increased importance. We conducted a scoping review of PIF through the lens of situated learning theory. Our scoping review question was: How is situated learning theory used to understand the process of PIF among graduate medical educators?

METHODS

The scoping review methodology described by Levac et al served as the architecture for this review. Medline, Embase, PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science Core Collection were searched (from inception) using a combination of terms that describe PIF among graduate medical educators.

RESULTS

Of the 1434 unique abstracts screened, 129 articles underwent full-text review, with 14 meeting criteria for inclusion and full coding. Significant results organized into three main themes: importance of using common definitions; evolution of theory over time with untapped explanatory power; identity as a dynamic construct.

DISCUSSION

The current body of knowledge leaves many gaps. These include lack of common definitions, need to apply ongoing theoretical insights to research, and exploration of professional identity as an evolving construct. As we come to understand PIF among medical faculty more fully, twin benefits accrue: (1) Community of practices can be designed deliberately to encourage full participation of all graduate medical education faculty who desire it, and (2) Faculty can more effectively lead trainees in negotiating the ongoing process of PIF across the landscape of professional identities.

The Effects of Coaching Pediatric Residents on Faculty Coaches' Relationships, Learning, and Professional Identity Formation

PURPOSE

Coaching programs have been implemented in medical education to improve skill development and feedback for trainees. As more faculty take on coaching roles, it is critical to understand how being a coach affects faculty as well as trainees. This study examined the effects of coaching residents on faculty members' relationships, learning, and professional identity formation (PIF), as they move through intersecting communities across landscapes of practice.

METHOD

From July 2020 to January 2021, the authors conducted a mixed-methods study of current and former coaches at 2 institutions with longitudinal pediatric resident coaching programs. They used a concurrent triangulation design in which qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously and integrated during data analysis. A survey explored the impact of coaching on faculty members' learning, relationships, and PIF, and semistructured interviews further examined coaches' experiences. The interview transcripts were analyzed inductively guided by the sensitizing principles of PIF and landscapes of practice.

RESULTS

Of 43 eligible coaches, 32 (74%) completed the survey, and 18 completed interviews. Four themes emerged from the interviews. (1) Coaches' relationships supported belonging in multiple communities. (2) Coaching enabled multidimensional learning. (3) Relationships served as mechanisms of learning for coaches. (4) Coaches' relationships and learning catalyzed PIF. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the effects of coaching on career growth by faculty rank ( P = .02). Coaches' strengthened PIF increased a sense of purpose, meaning, and professional fulfillment, and inspired new career directions. Survey data further supported these findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Being a coach deepened faculty members' professional identities through their varied relationships, multidimensional learning, and sense of belonging in intersecting communities. This study introduces a framework to understand the factors mediating coaches' PIF and highlights how investing in coaching leads to important benefits for coaches.

"Preparing them for the profession": An interpretative phenomenological analysis of anatomy educators coping with complexity in the United Kingdom curriculum

Efforts to integrate the basic sciences into the ever-changing curriculum are a trending area of research in health professions education. Low-stakes, high-frequency assessment methods such as the progress test are now widely implemented in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland as a means of furthering curricular integration toward contemporary goals of competency and professional identity formation. The anatomy educator's experience vis-à-vis these curricular changes is not well understood. This study aimed to explore how anatomy educators make sense of the shifting demands of their role. The interviews were semi-structured, particularly concerned with the phenomenon of teachers adapting to the complexity of their learning environment. The study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to focus on the lived experiences of participants coping with the phenomena in question: how do anatomy educators make sense of the learning environment in the United Kingdom? Interviews were transcribed verbatim and interpreted inductively, identifying four key themes: confidence through connectedness, variations in appraisals of curricular integration, managing expectations to perform in paradoxical situations, and the emergence of innovative teaching. Results point to the learning environment as a complex system and highlight the importance of feeling support from and connection to colleagues, enabling individual educators to develop confidence, meet the top-down demands of changing curricula, and experience personal identity development and uncertainty tolerance within their role. This IPA study offers insight into the lived experiences of anatomy educators whose experiential interpretations of a complex and changing curriculum can uniquely inform stakeholders in health professions education.

Win-win interactions: Results and implications of a user needs assessment of clinical and translational scientists

Introduction

This study describes a needs assessment of clinical and translational research (CTR) scientists at a large, distributed, School of Medicine within a public university and affiliated clinics.

Method

We performed an Exploratory Conversion Mixed-Methods analysis using a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews with CTR scientists across the training continuum, from early-career scholars, mid-career mentors, and senior administrators at the University of Wisconsin and Marshfield Clinics. Qualitative findings were confirmed using epistemic network analysis (ENA). A survey was distributed to CTR scientists in training.

Results

Analyses supported that early-career and senior-career scientists have unique needs. Scientists who identified as non-White or female reported needs that differed from White male scientists. Scientists expressed the needs for educational training in CTR, for institutional support of career development, and trainings for building stronger relationships with community stakeholders. The tension between meeting tenure clocks and building deep community connections was particularly meaningful for scholars who identified as under-represented, including based on race, gender, and discipline.

Conclusions

This study yielded clear differences in support needs between scientists based upon their years in research and diversity of identities. The validation of qualitative findings, through quantification with ENA, enables robust identification of unique needs of CTR investigators. It is critically important to the future of CTR that scientists are provided with supports throughout the career. Delivery of that support in efficient and timely ways improves scientific outcomes. Advocacy at the level of the institution for under-represented scientists is of utmost importance.

Becoming by doing: How women in academic health sciences build a leadership identity through project experiences

PURPOSE

Leadership development programs often use institutional projects to activate learning. We explored how project work shaped leadership identity formation in senior women leaders from one academic health science center who enrolled in The Hedwig von Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM^®) program.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We interviewed ELAM Fellows and conducted a qualitative analysis of transcripts. Our primary analysis focused on the influences of projects on Fellows and institutions. Leadership identity formation emerged as a distinct pattern, so this narrative content was separated for secondary analysis. All authors approved the final assignment of themes and codes.

RESULTS

Participants described a multi-dimensional process for developing a leadership identity. Themes encompassed participants' View of Self and One's Image as a Leader, Interpersonal Relationships, and Commitment to a Value-based Goal. These internal factors grounded external influences, such as interactions with colleagues and institutional leaders, and the world beyond the institution.

CONCLUSIONS

We examined the process of leadership identity formation from the perspective of women leaders in academic health sciences who completed an institutional project during a leadership development program. Findings illustrate how internal and external forces, experienced in the context of project work, combine to influence leadership identity formation in women.

Defining Their Own Success: Scholars' Views After a Faculty Development Program

OBJECTIVE

Educator roles in medicine are expanding yet career paths and definitions of successful careers are not uniformly agreed upon. Educator success from their own perspective has not been broadly explored as these studies usually occur from the institutional or organizational viewpoint. This study examined the impact of a national educational faculty development program (FDP) for academic pediatricians on educators' self-description of their own professional and personal success.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional, qualitative study of FDP alumni between 2019-2021. Interviews explored participants perspectives on their professional success, and supports and barriers. Using an iterative process, thematic analysis of the data identified 6 themes.

RESULTS

Fourteen scholars were interviewed. All felt they were successful citing both outcome and impact measures categorized into 6 themes: personal attributes, adequate resources and barriers, foundational skill development, experiencing strong mentoring and networking, engaging, and being connected to a community of practice and self-identifying as a medical educator. To view the data holistically, a model incorporating 3 frameworks was developed.

CONCLUSIONS

These educators viewed themselves as successful academic educators. While papers, promotions and positions were important, educators viewed impact in mentoring and collaborations with others, along with acquired expertise and an expanded viewpoint of the field and themselves as equally important. Educators and leaders could use these elements for their own self-assessment and support, FDP development and enhancement, and for investment in programs and faculty educators.

Assessment of Areas of Worklife Among Pharmacy Educators

Objective. To assess in pharmacy academicians the six domains of worklife (community, control, fairness, reward, workload, values) that have been associated with burnout and poor job satisfaction.Methods. We aimed to assess the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) among a sample of pharmacy academicians attending a national meeting to evaluate personal, environmental, or workplace factors that may influence the worklife environment. Data were analyzed using SPSS, descriptive statistics were identified, and Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson correlations were performed.Results. The participant response rate was 40% (n=49/121 attendees). Eighty-eight percent of participants reported working more than 40 hours per week. Mean AWS scores ranged from 2.7 to 3.9 (whereby 1 indicated a strong mismatch between person and work environment and 5 indicated a strong match). The workload and fairness domains had the lowest reported scores, whereas control had the highest. Higher mean scores were reported for control and reward in those with a mentor and for fairness in those having a hobby.Conclusion. Participants gave the lowest ratings to two worklife areas, workload and fairness. Developing targeted interventions, such as in mentorship, hobbies, and transparency in the work setting, may be important for preventing burnout in pharmacy academicians. Further studies in a larger population may help to determine factors associated with the areas of worklife that received low ratings.

Student Interprofessional Facilitator Training (SIFT) program: building capacity in clinical education leadership

BACKGROUND

While there are many teacher training programs for health professional students, few are interprofessional, and few integrate assessment and feedback prior to participation as peer teachers. In 2021, The Student Interprofessional Facilitator Training (SIFT) program was developed to allow senior students, already trained in peer teaching, to revise, build on, and practice their newly acquired skills in an interprofessional context. The aim of this study was to explore participant perception and performance, and the contextual factors that influence student aspirations as clinical teachers.

METHODS

Alumni of the 2021 Peer Teacher Training program (n = 74) were invited to participate in the SIFT program. Those who participated were invited to attend individual semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to code and categorise data into themes, using Communities of Practice as a conceptual framework. Skills in interprofessional facilitation were observed, assessed and students were provided with individual feedback. Assessment data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Sixteen students from six disciplines joined the SIFT program, and 13/16 (81%) completed. Students were from medicine, nursing, diagnostic radiography, medical imaging, dentistry and speech pathology. Students reported an increased recognition of teaching as a learned skill, development of clinician identity formation as educators, development of interprofessional communication skills, increased awareness of the roles of other health professions, and an increased understanding of leadership. Participants expressed a desire for additional opportunities for interprofessional networking and peer teaching. A good level of competence in facilitation skills was reached by participants.

CONCLUSION

The SIFT program provided a sustainable framework for health professional students to develop and evidence their teaching and leadership skills in an interprofessional context. This study highlighted the important role of observation, assessment and feedback in student teacher training programs. The process of clear assessment guidelines, direct observation with feedback from supervisors provided a way to ensure quality improvement in peer teaching. The SIFT program will help to build capacity of interprofessional programs where large numbers of teachers are required for small group teaching. The next step will be to ensure a variety of opportunities within interprofessional contexts, and with face-to-face engagement.

Stress/Resource Complex, Sense of Coherence and Professional Identity Among Nursing Students: A Latent Profile and Mediation Analysis

PURPOSE

Sense of coherence is significant to mental health and professional development in nursing students. However, the association among stress/resource complex, sense of coherence, and professional identity is less explored in nursing students. This study was designed to identify latent subtypes of stress/resource complex and to evaluate the mediating role of sense of coherence between stress/resource complex types and professional identity in nursing students.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

A total of 595 nursing students were recruited from Be Resilient to Nursing Career (BRNC) between October and December 2021 and administered with 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, General Self-efficacy Scale, 10-item Chinese Perceived Stress Scale, 13-item Sense of Coherence Scale, and Professional Identity Questionnaire for Undergraduate Students. Latent profile analysis and mediation analysis were performed.

RESULTS

Three latent subtypes of stress/resource complex were identified: Flexibility (14.8%), Ordinary (44.2%), and Maladjustment (41.0%). Nursing students with role model were prone to Ordinary (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.03-2.13, p = 0.035) and Flexibility (OR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.17-3.16, p = 0.011). The association between stress/resource complex types and professional identity was mediated by sense of coherence (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

There exists heterogeneity in nursing students' stress/resource complex. The association between stress/resource complex subtypes and professional identity was mediated by sense of coherence.

Contending with Our Racial Past in Medical Education: A Foucauldian Perspective

Practices of systemic and structural racism that advantage some groups over others are embedded in American society. Institutions of higher learning are increasingly being pressured to develop strategies that effectively address these inequities. This article examines medical education's diversity reforms and inclusion practices, arguing that many reify preexisting social hierarchies that privilege white individuals over those who are minoritized because of their race/ethnicity. Evidence: Drawing on the work of French theorist Michel Foucault, we argue that medical education's curricular and institutional practices reinforce asymmetrical power differences and authority in ways that disadvantage minoritized individuals. Practices, such as medical education's reliance on biomedical approaches, cultural competency, and standardized testing reinforce a racist system in ways congruent with the Foucauldian concept of "normalization." Through medical education's creation of subjects and its ability to normalize dominant forms of knowledge, trainees are shaped and socialized into ways of thinking, being, and acting that continue to support racial violence against minoritized groups. The systems, structures, and practices of medical education need to change to combat the pervasive forces that continue to shape racist institutional patterns. Individual medical educators will also need to employ critical approaches to their work and develop strategies that counteract institutional systems of racial violence. Implications: A Foucauldian approach that exposes the structural racism inherent in medical education enables both thoughtful criticism of status-quo diversity practices and practical, theory-driven solutions to address racial inequities. Using Foucault's work to interrogate questions of power, knowledge, and subjectivity can expand the horizon of racial justice reforms in medicine by attending to the specific, pervasive ways racial violence is performed, both intra- and extra-institutionally. Such an intervention promises to take seriously the importance of anti-racist methodology in medicine.