Medical faculty's perception of students' mental health: a qualitative survey study / Percepción de los profesores de medicina sobre la salud mental de los estudiantes: un estudio cualitativo / Percepção dos docentes de medicina sobre a saúde mental dos estudantes: um estudo qualitativo

This study sought to explore the perspective of medical faculty on the mental health of their students. This qualitative study based on a focus group is part of a longitudinal research that studied the mental health of Brazilian students. One group was conducted with faculty employed at a medical school. Topics discussed covered the concept of mental health and medical education. Six professors participated in one group. The mental health of medical students is a construct that encompasses emotional aspects, ability to solve problems and multiple facets of a human being, according to the participants. Artistic practices, moments of socialization and leisure were perceived as stimulating students' good mental health. Excessive demands generate competitiveness and the teacher's expectation of the student's good performance based on their own experience can harm the student's mental health. Participants also highlighted that a pedagogical reformulation that makes sense for the student's learning process is necessary to update traditional curricula. Medical students' mental health is influenced by experiences and exchanges during the medical school, mainly between professor and student, understood as necessary and inherent to the process of becoming physician. The findings of this study show the need for curriculum changes in the medical education process and updating teacher training for good practices that reinforce good mental health.

Este estudio buscó explorar la perspectiva de los profesores de medicina sobre la salud mental de sus estudiantes. Este estudio cualitativo basado en un grupo focal es parte de una investigación longitudinal que estudió la salud mental de estudiantes brasileños. Un grupo se llevó a cabo con profesores empleados en una escuela de medicina. Los temas tratados abarcaron el concepto de salud mental y educación médica. Seis docentes participaron en un grupo. La salud mental de los estudiantes de medicina es un constructo que abarca aspectos emocionales, capacidad de resolución de problemas y múltiples facetas del ser humano, según los participantes. Las prácticas artísticas, los momentos de socialización y el ocio fueron percibidos como estimulantes de la buena salud mental de los estudiantes. Las exigencias excesivas generan competitividad y la expectativa del docente sobre el buen desempeño del estudiante basándose en su propia experiencia puede perjudicar la salud mental del estudiante. Los participantes también resaltaron que es necesaria una reformulación pedagógica que tenga sentido para el proceso de aprendizaje del estudiante para actualizar los currículos tradicionales. La salud mental de los estudiantes de medicina está influenciada por las experiencias y los intercambios durante la carrera de medicina, principalmente entre profesor y estudiante, entendidos como necesarios e inherentes al proceso de convertirse en médico. Los hallazgos de este estudio muestran la necesidad de cambios curriculares en el proceso de formación médica y de actualización de la formación docente hacia buenas prácticas que refuercen la buena salud mental.

Este estudo buscou explorar a perspectiva dos docentes de medicina sobre a saúde mental de seus alunos. Este estudo qualitativo baseado em grupo focal faz parte de uma pesquisa longitudinal que estudou a saúde mental de estudantes brasileiros. Um grupo foi conduzido com professores empregados em uma faculdade de medicina. Os temas discutidos abrangeram o conceito de saúde mental e educação médica. Seis professores participaram de um grupo. A saúde mental dos estudantes de medicina é um construto que engloba aspectos emocionais, capacidade de resolução de problemas e múltiplas facetas do ser humano, segundo os participantes. As práticas artísticas, os momentos de socialização e de lazer foram percebidos como estimuladores da boa saúde mental dos estudantes. Exigências excessivas geram competitividade e a expectativa do professor pelo bom desempenho do aluno com base na própria experiência pode prejudicar a saúde mental do aluno. Os participantes destacaram também que é necessária uma reformulação pedagógica que faça sentido para o processo de aprendizagem do aluno para atualizar os currículos tradicionais. A saúde mental dos estudantes de medicina é influenciada pelas experiências e trocas durante o curso de medicina, principalmente entre professor e aluno, entendidas como necessárias e inerentes ao processo de tornar-se médico. Os achados deste estudo mostram a necessidade de mudanças curriculares no processo de formação médica e de atualização da formação docente para boas práticas que reforcem a boa saúde mental.

From constructive to critical and everywhere in between: education leaders' decision-making related to harsh feedback from learners about their teachers.

Feedback from learners is important to support faculty development, but negative feedback can harm teachers' motivation, engagement, and retention. Leaders of educational programs, therefore, need to balance enabling students' voices to be heard with maintaining teachers' enthusiasm and commitment to teaching. Given the paucity of research to explain or guide this struggle, we explored why and how education leaders grapple with negative learner feedback received about their teachers. Using an Interpretive Description methodology, 11 education leaders participated in semi-structured interviews. Discussion was stimulated by showing participants learner narratives they had previously asked to be deleted because they perceived the narrative to be overly critical. Transcripts were iteratively analyzed as codes were developed, refined, and combined into themes. Education leaders interpreted the scope, framing, and focus of the feedback to decide whether it was overly critical. Such determinations were combined with contextual considerations such as the teacher's personal circumstances, the learning environment and how the teacher might react to think through what potential damage the feedback might do to the teacher. Throughout the process, leaders struggled with whether protecting teachers risked not protecting learners and remained unsure about the ethics of censoring student voices. Our study offers direction regarding how to optimize feedback to teachers while minimizing risks inherent in sharing negative feedback with them. Implications include that there is value in: (1) extending feedback interpretation support to teachers, education leaders and learners; (2) situating upward feedback in a coaching dialogue; and, (3) applying the same principles recommended for the provision of feedback to learners, to teachers.

PULSE Ambassadors program: empowering departments to transform STEM education for inclusion and student success.

The Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) is a non-profit educational organization committed to promoting the transformation of undergraduate STEM education by supporting departments in removing barriers to access, equity, and inclusion and in adopting evidence-based teaching and learning practices. The PULSE Ambassadors Campus Workshop program enables faculty and staff members of host departments to 1) develop communication, shared leadership, and inclusion skills for effective team learning; 2) implement facilitative leadership skills (e.g., empathic listening and collaboration); 3) create a shared vision and departmental action plan; and 4) integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the department and curriculum. From the first workshop in 2014, teams of trained Ambassadors conducted workshops at 58 institutions, including associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral institutions. In their workshop requests, departments cited several motivations: desire to revise and align their curriculum with Vision and Change recommendations, need for assistance with ongoing curricular reform, and wish for external assistance with planning processes and communication. Formative assessments during and immediately following workshops indicated that key outcomes were met. Post-workshop interviews of four departments confirm progress achieved on action items and development of individual department members as agents of change. The PULSE Ambassadors program continues to engage departments to improve undergraduate STEM education and prepare departments for the challenges and uncertainties of the changing higher education landscape.

Transforming Ethics Education Through a Faculty Learning Community: "I'm Coming Around to Seeing Ethics as Being Maybe as Important as Calculus".

Ethics is central to scientific and engineering research and practice, but a key challenge for promoting students' ethical formation involves enhancing faculty members' ability and confidence in embedding positive ethical learning experiences into their curriculums. To this end, this paper explores changes in faculty members' approaches to and perceptions of ethics education following their participation in a multi-year interdisciplinary faculty learning community (FLC). We conducted and thematically analyzed semi-structured interviews with 11 participants following the second year of the FLC. Qualitative themes suggested that, following two years of FLC participation, faculty members (1) were better able to articulate their conceptualizations of ethics; (2) became cognizant of how personal experiences, views, and beliefs informed how they introduced ethics into their curriculum; and (3) developed and lived instructional principles that guided their ethics teaching. Results thus suggested that faculty members benefitted from exploring, discussing, and teaching ethics, which (in turn) enabled them to see new opportunities and become confident in integrating ethics into their courses in meaningful ways that aligned with their scholarly identities. Taken together, these data suggest faculty became agents of change for designing, implementing, and refining ethics-related instructional efforts in STEM. This work can guide others interested in designing faculty learning communities to promote instructional skill development, faculty members' awareness of their ethical values, and their ability and agency to design and integrate ethics learning activities alongside departmental peers in an intentional and continuous manner.

Facilitators of and Barriers to Effective Preceptorships for Pre-licensure Nursing Students: What Nursing Faculty Need to Know.

Introduction: Preceptorships offer prelicensure nursing students the opportunity to meet their clinical objectives by working one-on-one with a registered nurse (RN). Although preceptorships can be provided for any clinical course, most prelicensure nursing programs offer them during the final semester. Preceptorships provide a bridge between academic study and the real world of nursing. By acting as a teacher, role model, evaluator, and person who can help a student to socialize with the profession, a preceptor can reduce the reality shock experienced by new nurses and provide them with realistic expectations about the nursing profession. The recent nursing shortage has inadvertently led to a preceptor shortage and forced the nursing leadership to become dependent on available RNs, including those without preceptor training or experience. Purpose: This practice update paper aimed to address the facilitators and barriers associated with preceptorships for prelicensure nursing students and discuss the proposed solutions for effective clinical preceptorship based on evidence and the author's personal reflections. Conclusion: The major facilitators were the discussion of nursing program expectations, the selection of teaching strategies with real-world examples, the creation of a structured weekly plan to promote learning, and the consideration of alternative teaching approaches. The major barriers were preceptors' dual responsibilities to students and patients, challenging students, and the lack of experienced preceptors. The proposed solutions included obtaining support from the nursing leadership team to ensure that the preceptor had a balanced workload, developing the emotional competence of the preceptor, addressing challenging students through a three-way conference with the student, the preceptor, and the clinical faculty and a written plan to ensure student progress, having the nursing leadership conduct periodic assessments of the preceptor pool, and ensuring that appropriate training was offered to candidates who were willing to become preceptors.

Acknowledging and Addressing Microaggressions: A Virtual Experiential Learning Approach for Faculty.

Introduction: Although the ACGME and other accrediting organizations are increasingly emphasizing the importance of clinical learning environments that value diversity, equity, and inclusion, faculty development surrounding behavioral skills that promote inclusivity in the learning environment still needs cultivation. We designed a virtual longitudinal faculty development curriculum focused on direct observation, feedback, and practice of behavioral skills to acknowledge and address microaggressions in the learning environment. Methods: We used Kern's six steps of curriculum development to create four voluntary virtual workshops offered twice throughout the academic year, with topics including: (1) recognizing and naming microaggressions, (2) apologizing when harm has been experienced, (3) setting expectations surrounding microaggressions, and (4) debriefing microaggressions. Participant learners included residency program directors, associate program directors, and other leaders across all medical and surgical departments from one institution. Results: Thirty-one faculty from 10 departments participated in this yearlong curriculum. Pre- and postworkshop surveys analyzed participants' self-assessments of confidence and comfort in applying learned skills. Participants were more confident in openly naming bias, delivering expectations surrounding microaggressions, and debriefing microaggressions with learners. Participants also reported greater comfort in apologizing to learners when harm has occurred in public, in person, and electronically. Discussion: To create an inclusive learning environment, faculty can increase their comfort and confidence with addressing bias and microaggressions through practice and feedback. Our curriculum demonstrates how experiential learning allows for continual practice to solidify a new skill.

Determination of the relationship between obesity prejudice status and eating behaviors of faculty of health sciences students.

BACKGROUND: People living with obesity receive treatment services from health professionals for their weight or other health needs. In order for the students of the Faculty of Health Sciences, who will be a member of the health team in the future, to raise awareness of the society, it is necessary to first determine their obesity prejudices and eating habits. METHODS: The study is a cross-sectional and descriptive research. The study data were collected from 406 students studying at the Faculty of Health Sciences by online questionnaire method using a personal characteristics identification form, GAMS 27-Obesity Bias Scale and University Students Eating Behavior Scale (USEBS). The data were analyzed with SPSS 26 statistical software. RESULTS: In this study, all students were found to be prone to prejudice according to the mean total score of the Obesity Bias Scale and Obesity Bias Scale was higher in female students studying in perfusion department. In the sub-dimensions of the University Students Eating Behavior Scale, the enjoyment of food score was found to have the highest mean score. CONCLUSION: According to the results of the study, there is a need to develop educational planning that will both increase the awareness of university students about the relationship between eating behaviors and obesity and eliminate obesity prejudice tendencies due to the fact that they are educated to provide services in the field of health.

Trends in dental school faculty: An analysis of the results of the 2021‒2022 ADEA Dental School Faculty Demographic Census and 2018‒2019 ADEA Survey of Dental School Faculty.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Each year, American Dental Education Association (ADEA) collects data on U.S. dental school faculty demographics, compensation, and vacant and lost positions. One of the purposes of the reports associated with this project is to provide information to U.S. dental schools on national trends on dental school faculty. This report examines the landscape of faculty workforce at U.S.-accredited dental schools in 2021‒2022 and changes relative to the 2018‒2019 academic year. The information contained within this report includes faculty position information, new and separated faculty, open or vacant faculty positions, lost faculty positions, and faculty demographics. METHODS: The report analyzes data from the 2018‒2019 ADEA Survey of Dental School Faculty (representing an estimated 91% of the full-time and part-time faculty) and 2021‒2022 ADEA Dental School Faculty Salary and Demographic Census (an estimated 84% of the faculty). RESULTS: The analysis revealed that more than half of dental school faculty was in the south and northeast in 2021‒2022. Among responding schools, 85% of the faculty concentrated on teaching, research, and training in 2021‒2022, a proportion similar with 2018‒2019. One in five faculty was tenured or on tenure track, similar with 2018‒2019. More than three-quarters of full-time and part-time faculty were clinical faculty in 2021‒2022. There was a 62% increase in open faculty positions between 2018‒2019 and 2021‒2022. Women accounted for four in 10 faculty members in 2021‒2022-more than 3 years before. The median age of dental school faculty declined from 56 to 54 years old between 2019 and 2022. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that dental school faculty was increasingly younger, with more women members and more open positions in 2021‒2022 than in 2018‒2019.

Extending Professional Identity Formation to develop academic faculty for a new medical school.

Academic health centers have a responsibility to foster professional development approaches and engagement environments for faculty to elevate both knowledge and sense of belonging as medical educators. This new educational methods submission depicts faculty development and engagement initiatives implemented at a single institution that were created and influenced by the psychological framework of Professional Identity Formation. The authors suggest ways that academic medical centers can draw upon the formation of these programs to best serve their faculty for cultivating development and engagement for professional growth.

Prioritizing Faculty Well-Being: Why it Matters, What Schools Can Do, and a Call for Action.

Previous studies have identified high rates of burnout among healthcare workers and health professions faculty. Despite interventions being showcased at national meetings in both posters and platform presentations, there is minimal peer-reviewed published research focusing on professional well-being interventions and their assessments specific to pharmacy faculty. This commentary serves as a call to action to design and publish research related to work-system interventions to decrease burnout and promote professional well-being among all academic pharmacy faculty, and particularly subgroups who may be most at risk, such as women and assistant-level faculty. Leaders across colleges of pharmacy may consider implementing strategies suggested in the AACP Creating a Culture of Wellbeing guide.

Integrating Health and Disability Data Into Academic Information Systems: Workflow Optimization Study.

Background: Integrating health information into university information systems holds significant potential for enhancing student support and well-being. Despite the growing body of research highlighting issues faced by university students, including stress, depression, and disability, little has been done in the informatics field to incorporate health technologies at the institutional level. Objective: This study aims to investigate the current state of health information integration within university systems and provide design recommendations to address existing gaps and opportunities. Methods: We used a user-centered approach to conduct interviews and focus group sessions with stakeholders to gather comprehensive insights and requirements for the system. The methodology involved data collection, analysis, and the development of a suggested workflow. Results: The findings of this study revealed the shortcomings in the current process of handling health and disability data within university information systems. In our results, we discuss some requirements identified for integrating health-related information into student information systems, such as privacy and confidentiality, timely communication, task automation, and disability resources. We propose a workflow that separates the process into 2 distinct components: a health and disability system and measures of quality of life and wellness. The proposed workflow highlights the vital role of academic advisors in facilitating support and enhancing coordination among stakeholders. Conclusions: To streamline the workflow, it is vital to have effective coordination among stakeholders and redesign the university information system. However, implementing the new system will require significant capital and resources. We strongly emphasize the importance of increased standardization and regulation to support the information system requirements for health and disability. Through the adoption of standardized practices and regulations, we can ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the required support system.

[Alexey Alexeevich Maklakov (19.09.1872-21.03.1918)]. / Aleksei Alekseevich Maklakov (19.09.1872­21.03.1918).

This article commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of prominent early 20th-century Russian ophthalmologist Professor Alexey Alekseevich Maklakov of Moscow University and aims to explore his biography, which remains relatively obscure. His scientific, pedagogical, and public activities have not been subjected to comprehensive analysis until now. The study clarifies key dates in his life through examination of archival documents. The biography is further supplemented with new facts concerning his work at the medical faculty of Moscow University.

The Uterus Keeps the Score: Black Women Academics' Insights and Coping with Uterine Fibroids.

Few studies examine how high-achieving Black women navigate chronic reproductive health morbidities. Black women are disproportionately more likely to experience uterine fibroids, with earlier onset and more severe symptoms. This study leverages a national mixed-methods data set of Black women academics to examine how they describe symptomatic fibroids impacting their careers and lives. We find that participants (1) actively coped by engaging in superwoman schema, (2) postponed treatment due to the demands of their tenure-track position, and (3) normalized pain. Our findings suggest a potentially high prevalence of uterine fibroids among Black women faculty, that symptomatic fibroids were an impediment to some women's careers, and that women with symptomatic fibroids often identified expectations of their careers as an impediment to seeking timely treatment. We provide insights for how highly educated, successful Black women cope and navigate career stress coupled with challenges resulting from chronic reproductive health morbidities.

Nursing educators' experiences of cultural competence in the nursing education program: A qualitative descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: To meet the population's increasing diversity and the health system's needs, it is necessary to prepare nursing schools to produce culturally qualified students. PURPOSE: This study aimed to extract the experiences of nursing educators about the cultural competence of nursing students. METHOD: In this qualitative descriptive study, data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 nursing educators affiliated with three medical sciences universities in southeastern Iran. Purposive data sampling and analysis were performed using Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis methods. RESULTS: One main theme, 5 categories, and 18 subcategories were extracted. The main theme was "cultural equality, the essence of care and education". Categories included "Toward culturally-based caring and education", "Charter of cultural rights", "The need for cultural competence facilitators", "Cultural exposure", and "Modifying the curriculum policies". CONCLUSION: This study shows that nursing educators strive to take into account students' cultural competence, even though cultural competence is not explicitly integrated into nursing curricula. The acquisition of cultural competence requires multifaceted changes in education, in clinical centers, and in the creation of cultural infrastructure.

Institutional factors that affect faculty mentoring in academic nursing programs.

BACKGROUND: Mentoring in academic nursing facilitates the acclimation of nurse faculty into academia, supports career development, and improves faculty satisfaction and retention. While studies have examined the characteristics of effective mentors, few have examined institutional influences on academic mentoring for faculty. PURPOSE: To identify institutional factors that support or hinder faculty-to-faculty academic mentoring from the perspectives of experienced nurse faculty mentors. METHOD: A qualitative descriptive approach was used to identify institutional factors that impact academic mentoring. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced nurse faculty (n = 24) about their mentoring experiences. Remarks related to institutional factors were analyzed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Five institutional factors that supported mentoring were identified: (1) support of unit leaders, (2) established processes and policies, (3) mentoring development opportunities, (4) faculty-to-faculty support, and (5) faculty rewards. Six institutional factors that hindered mentoring were identified: (1) lack of support of unit leaders, (2) limited mentoring development opportunities, (3) heavy workloads that restrict mentoring, (4) limited pool of mentors, (5) inadequate faculty rewards for mentoring, and (6) limited oversight of faculty mentoring. CONCLUSION: The identification of institutional factors that support or hinder mentoring can inform academic leaders and program administrators in their efforts to strengthen mentoring.

Collaborative nursing education between advanced practice registered nurses.

The surge in healthcare demands due to the explosion of growth in the aging adult population demands that academic institutions address enhanced education of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). This is particularly challenging amidst nurse faculty shortages in specialty areas, stemming from factors such as lack of pay competitiveness with clinical positions, and doctoral-prepared nurses seeking faculty positions. Despite efforts to address the shortages, recruitment challenges persist, necessitating innovative approaches. This article explores the interprofessional collaborative teaching between Nurse Anesthesia (NA) and Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (NP) programs, focusing on airway management, sedation techniques, chest X-ray interpretation, and ultrasound skills. To date, this collaboration between NA and NP faculty has proven effective. Both synchronous and online asynchronous teaching have received overwhelmingly positive student feedback. Ongoing communication and collaborations between NA and NP faculty facilitate teaching and educational strategies across programs, sharing faculty expertise, and mitigating reduced faculty numbers. This innovative model benefits faculty and students and provides a platform for firsthand interprofessional collaboration, fostering mutual respect and preparing students for effective interdisciplinary healthcare teamwork.

Undergraduate Nursing Faculty Knowledge, Beliefs, and Experiences with Teaching LGBTQ+ Content: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education research about inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) health content in undergraduate nursing curricula primarily focuses on student learning outcomes. There is less research evidence about the experiences of nursing faculty with teaching LGBTQ+ health topics. PURPOSE: The purpose of this scoping review was to identify current evidence about pre-licensure, undergraduate nursing faculty knowledge, beliefs, and experiences with teaching LGBTQ+ content. METHODS: Six EBSCO databases were searched for manuscripts published between 2012 and 2023. Peer-reviewed articles, published in English, describing studies of pre-licensure, undergraduate nursing faculty knowledge, beliefs, and experiences with teaching LGBTQ+ health content were included. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews was used to guide inclusion of studies for review. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 612 results, of which 58 were selected for full text screening. Twelve total studies were retained for this scoping review. CONCLUSIONS: Faculty knowledge related to LGBTQ+ health is framed by a "deficit narrative," emphasizing physical and mental health risks and negative outcomes. Faculty beliefs are often measured with instruments that reflect cisnormativity or heteronormativity. There is an ongoing need to research the experiences of inclusion of LGBTQ+ content by pre-licensure, undergraduate nursing faculty.

Leased clinical faculty model: Bridging gaps in nursing education.

In response to the critical Registered Nursing (RN) shortage, John Carroll University, a not-for-profit, private, faith-based university in the Midwest, has developed an academic-practice partnership to bolster its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. This initiative addresses the challenge of limited clinical faculty. Central to this strategy is a "leased employee agreement" with healthcare partners, which allows the university to employ practicing RNs as part-time clinical instructors. Formulated in collaboration with healthcare Chief Nurse Executives (CNEs), this model enables the seamless integration of hospital-employed RNs into the academic framework as clinical faculty. This model streamlines the onboarding process and enriches student learning experiences by leveraging the practical expertise of active nurses. Initial feedback following its launch in August 2023 has been positive, with students and clinical faculty reporting high levels of satisfaction and quality educational experiences. This approach presents a viable strategy to mitigate faculty shortages in nursing education and underscores the importance of inventive academic-practice partnerships in adapting to the dynamic demands of healthcare training.

Scanning resources to build an international nursing knowledge network.

This paper reports the gathered information from an international environmental scan of university-baseline information for the creation of a Nursing Knowledge Network. An online environment scan of organizational context (February to October 2021) explored the identification of research areas, existing resources, expected benefits, innovations in teaching research, barriers to knowledge dissemination, and prospective contributions of the Network. Target informants were 200 nursing faculty affiliated with 63 universities located in 13 countries, as well as nursing networks in the Ibero-American context. One informant per university was asked to respond to the questionnaire. The participation rate was nearly 70% (42/63). The informants' universities per country included Brazil (n = 21), Canada (n = 4), Portugal and Spain (n = 3 each), Colombia, Mexico, Peru and USA (n = 2 each), Chile, Italy and Paraguay (n = 1 each). Nursing faculty provided rich information and shared knowledge confirming a strong commitment to global co-creation of innovations and research partnership capacities through collaboration, cooperation, and knowledge exchange among nursing higher education institutions. Seldom researched areas are a potential focus for the Network to generate appropriate evidence to inform local scientific practices. The gathered information will inform further review of nursing and governmental policies and programs related to the application and dissemination of nursing evidence across local, regional, and global levels.

Factors influencing faculty job satisfaction: A quantitative study of private medical colleges in Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: To identify key factors influencing academic job satisfaction among faculty members of private medical colleges in an urban setting. METHODS: The cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted from October to November 2021 at the Department of Community Health Sciences, Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College, Karachi, and comprised faculty members associated with 13 private medical colleges in Karachi. Data was collected using a 32-item questionnaire that was scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Key predictors of job satisfaction were identified and evaluated. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. RESULTS: Of the 200 subjects surveyed, 106(52.7%) were males. The overall mean age was 29.4±5.2 years. There were 145(72.5%) respondents who were married, 106(53%) had employed spouses, 102(51%) were either professors or associate professors, and 93(46.5%) had professional experience of 1-5 years. Three principal factors were identified; career growth opportunities, working conditions and compensatory packages (p<0.001). The lowest mean satisfaction score was observed for compensatory packages (1.74±0.84), followed by working conditions (2.28±1.41) and career growth (2.38±1.39). CONCLUSIONS: Improving compensatory packages, working conditions and career growth opportunities were found to be crucial for enhancing job satisfaction among faculty members in Karachi-based private medical colleges.