240 - “How Do I Spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S?” Faculty Educators’ Viewpoints of Their Professional and Personal Success After a National Faculty Development Program

Poster Number: 240
Publication Number: 240.418

Robert Riss, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Shawnee, KS, United States; Neha Shah, Children's National Hospital/The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States; Alix G. Darden, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Little Rock, AR, United States; Donna M. D'Alessandro, University of Iowa, Iowa city, IA, United States

Background: Pediatric educator roles are expanding yet career paths and definitions of successful careers are not uniformly agreed upon. As studies usually occur from the institutional or organizational viewpoint and not the educator’s, success from their own perspective has not been broadly explored.

Objective: This study examines the impact of a pediatric, national educational faculty development program (FDP) the on educators’ self-description of their own professional and personal success.

Design/Methods: A cross-sectional, qualitative study of FDP alumni was conducted between 2019-21. Interviews explored educator scholar’s 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 from 3 different program cohorts. 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 with, and being connected to a community of practice and self-identifying as a medical educator. A model was developed using psychological transitioning, community of practice and professional identify formation to interpret and explain the changes scholars experienced over a chronological time frame and to look at elements that assist or hinder those changes and transitions.Conclusion(s): These educators viewed themselves as successful. While the “P” outcomes of papers, presentations, promotions, and positions were important, pediatric educators viewed their own impacts in mentoring and collaborations with others, along with their acquired expertise and an expanded viewpoint of the medical education field and themselves as equally important. Educators could use these elements for their own self-assessment and support, and FDP development and enhancement. Administrative leaders should use them for strategic investment in FDP and individual faculty educators. Only the scholar themselves can truly measure their own success.