Brooke J. Taylor, MPH, CCMEP (Director, CME, Beaumont Health System; Assistant Dean, CME, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine); Linda Gillum, PhD (Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs, Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine)

Synopsis

A faculty development initiative was designed to transition faculty from an educational, communitybased model to an integrated academic health care system. This initiative spans the continuum of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education, thereby eliminating the “silos” of traditional settings and leveraging the synergy among all three levels of instruction.

Purpose

To enhance the instructional skills of clinical and basic science faculty by assessing needs, identifying and develop teaching-related knowledge and skills representing best practices, and enhancing faculty abilities to transfer learning into practice.

Methods

A faculty development initiative, “The ADVANCE Program”, was developed to maintain a high standard of faculty development, career growth and best practices in medical education. The initiative began as a series of medical education related lectures and has expanded into a comprehensive faculty development and consultation service that enables faculty to pursue professional development, leadership development, and academic medicine fellowship programs.

Results

Since the launch of ADVANCE in October 2010, we have successfully integrated faculty involved in each of the three educational stages into a cohesive faculty that are learning the same skills together, thereby breaking down the silos found in traditional settings. Throughout the development of ADVANCE, education has been aligned with faculty interests and needs.

Applications

To 1) identify current teaching deficiencies and break down barriers, 2) use multiple methods to assess and develop knowledge and skills identified as best practices, and 3) enhance faculty abilities to transfer learning into practice.

Future Directions

To create a Center forTeaching Excellence and Faculty Development that is organized to serve a vibrant academic medicine community where each faculty member has the optimal capability to engage and develop best practices in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The Center will be designed to enable all School of Medicine faculty to make meaningful contributions to their professional goals and the institution’s mission.