"Getting Started": A Pilot Introductory Narrative Writing Session for Interprofessional Faculty in Academic Health Sciences.

Purpose: We designed and implemented a pilot introductory narrative writing session with the two-fold goal of fostering the dissemination of faculty writing for submission to peer-reviewed journals and other publication venues while simultaneously creating a framework for establishing collaborative and empathic interprofessional teams by enhancing narrative-related competencies. Methods: The session was open to interprofessional faculty at our academic health sciences center. Participants were accepted via a competitive application process, with group size limited to 18 individuals due to the workshop-style format. Learners were reflective of our diverse campus regarding sex, race/ethnicity, department, rank, and professional role. The session began with an experiential seminar providing instruction on writing theory and practice, discussion questions, and reflective writing prompts. The seminar was followed by a writing workshop. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation to gauge participant satisfaction and educational efficacy. Results: The mixed-methods evaluation revealed that faculty reported high satisfaction with the session as a designated space to contemplate, discuss, practice, share, and critique narrative writing. All learners (18, 100%) rated it "very good" or "excellent" in overall quality and value as well as in relevance to personal growth. Participants reported growth in communication (13, 72%), self-reflection (12, 67%), active listening (12, 67%), writing confidence (11, 61%), perspective-taking (11, 61%), writing skills (10, 56%), and empathy (8, 44%). Discussion: Faculty valued the session as a venue for improving their writing skills and sharing with a diverse group of colleagues about the significance of narrative in relation to their professional lives. Conclusion: Seminar outcomes suggest that narrative-based education for interprofessional health sciences faculty can be effective in achieving the two-fold goal of enhancing writing competencies while simultaneously fostering essential skills for building collaborative and empathic teams to promote high-quality education, research, and whole person clinical care.

How to Launch and Continually Enhance an Effective Medical Campus Faculty Development Program: Steps for Implementation and Lessons Learned.

PURPOSE: Drawing on the decade of experience of Boston University Medical Campus' Faculty Development Office, this paper reports strategies used to launch and continually improve faculty development programming within an academic health sciences campus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The authors explain the steps that Boston University Medical Campus took to institute their set of faculty development programs, including an overview of resources on how to periodically conduct needs assessments, engage key institutional stakeholders, design and evaluate an array of programming to meet the needs of a diverse faculty, and institute real-time program modifications. RESULTS: In a step-by-step guide, and by highlighting vital lessons learned, the authors describe a process by which biomedical educators can create and sustain a robust faculty development office within their own institutions. CONCLUSION: This paper identifies steps to launch and improve faculty development program. Faculty development programs should be expanded to support faculty in academic medical centers.

Cross-Center Virtual Education Fellowship Program for Early-Career Researchers in Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that over 46 million individuals have atrial fibrillation (AF) worldwide, and the incidence and prevalence of AF are increasing globally. There is an urgent need to accelerate the academic development of scientists possessing the skills to conduct innovative, collaborative AF research. METHODS: We designed and implemented a virtual AF Strategically Focused Research Network Cross-Center Fellowship program to enhance the competencies of early-stage AF basic, clinical, and population health researchers through experiential education and mentorship. The pedagogical model involves significant cross-center collaboration to produce a curriculum focused on enhancing AF scientific competencies, fostering career/professional development, and cultivating grant writing skills. Outcomes for success involve clear expectations for fellows to produce manuscripts, presentations, and-for those at the appropriate career stage-grant applications. We evaluated the effectiveness of the fellowship model via mixed methods formative and summative surveys. RESULTS: In 2 years of the fellowship, fellows generally achieved the productivity metrics sought by our pedagogical model, with outcomes for the 12 fellows including 50 AF-related manuscripts, 7 publications, 28 presentations, and 3 grant awards applications. Participant evaluations reported that the fellowship effectively met its educational objectives. All fellows reported medium to high satisfaction with the overall fellowship, webinar content and facilitation, staff communication and support, and program organization. CONCLUSIONS: The fellowship model represents an innovative educational strategy by providing a virtual AF training and mentoring curriculum for early-career basic, clinical, and population health scientists working across multiple institutions, which is particularly valuable in the pandemic era.