Diane Magrane

Perceptions of skill development of participants in three national career development programs for women faculty in academic medicine.

Purpose The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and Drexel University College of Medicine have designed and implemented national career development programs (CDPs) to help women faculty acquire and strengthen skills needed for success in academic medicine. The authors hypothesized that skills women acquired in CDPs would vary by career stage and program attended. Method In 2011, the authors surveyed a national cohort of 2,779 women listed in the AAMC Faculty Roster who also attended one of three CDPs (Early- and Mid-Career Women in Medicine Seminars, and/or Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine) between 1988 and 2010 to examine their characteristics and CDP experiences. Participants indicated from a list of 16 skills whether each skill was newly acquired, improved, or not improved as a result of their program participation. Results Of 2,537 eligible CDP women, 942 clicked on the link in an invitation e-mail, and 879 (93%) completed the survey. Respondents were representative of women faculty in academic medicine. Participants rated the CDPs highly. Almost all reported gaining and/or improving skills from the CDP. Four skills predominated across all three programs: interpersonal skills, leadership, negotiation, and networking. The skills that attendees endorsed differed by respondents’ career stages, more so than by program attended. Conclusions Women participants perceived varying skills gained or improved from their attendance at the CDPs. Determining ways in which CDPs can support women’s advancement in academic medicine requires a deeper understanding of what participants seek from CDPs and how they use program content to advance their careers.

Systems of Career Influences: A Conceptual Model for Evaluating the Professional Development of Women in Academic Medicine

BACKGROUND Surprisingly little research is available to explain the well-documented organizational and societal influences on persistent inequities in advancement of women faculty. METHODS The Systems of Career Influences Model is a framework for exploring factors influencing womens progression to advanced academic rank, executive positions, and informal leadership roles in academic medicine. The model situates faculty as agents within a complex adaptive system consisting of a trajectory of career advancement with opportunities for formal professional development programming; a dynamic system of influences of organizational policies, practices, and culture; and a dynamic system of individual choices and decisions. These systems of influence may promote or inhibit career advancement. Within this system, women weigh competing influences to make career advancement decisions, and leaders of academic health centers prioritize limited resources to support the schools mission. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The Systems of Career Influences Model proved useful to identify key research questions. We used the model to probe how research in academic career development might be applied to content and methods of formal professional development programs. We generated a series of questions and hypotheses about how professional development programs might influence professional development of health science faculty members. Using the model as a guide, we developed a study using a quantitative and qualitative design. These analyses should provide insight into what works in recruiting and supporting productive men and women faculty in academic medical centers.

Retaining Faculty in Academic Medicine: The Impact of Career Development Programs for Women

BACKGROUND For more than two decades, national career development programs (CDPs) have addressed underrepresentation of women faculty in academic medicine through career and leadership curricula. We evaluated CDP participation impact on retention. METHODS We used Association of American Medical Colleges data to compare 3268 women attending CDPs from 1988 to 2008 with 17,834 women and 40,319 men nonparticipant faculty similar to CDP participants in degree, academic rank, first year of appointment in rank, and home institution. Measuring from first year in rank to departure from last position held or December 2009 (study end date), we used Kaplan-Meier curves; Cox survival analysis adjusted for age, degree, tenure, and department; and 10-year rates to compare retention. RESULTS CDP participants were significantly less likely to leave academic medicine than their peers for up to 8 years after appointment as Assistant and Associate Professors. Full Professor participants were significantly less likely to leave than non-CDP women. Men left less often than non-CDP women at every rank. Participants attending more than one CDP left less often than those attending one, but results varied by rank. Patterns of switching institutions after 10 years varied by rank; CDP participants switched significantly less often than men at Assistant and Associate Professor levels and significantly less often than non-CDP women among Assistant Professors. Full Professors switched at equal rates. CONCLUSION National CDPs appear to offer retention advantage to women faculty, with implications for faculty performance and capacity building within academic medicine. Intervals of retention advantage for CDP participants suggest vulnerable periods for intervention.

Perceptions of Operating Room Learning Experiences During the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship

BACKGROUND There is little published describing curriculum development for the medical student in the operating room (OR). PURPOSE Explore student and faculty perceptions of learning experiences in the OR during the Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn) clerkship as a prelude to defining OR-specific learning objectives and curriculum. METHODS Fourth year students and Obstetrics and Gynecology faculty participated in structured, audiotaped focus groups aimed at defining OR educational objectives and curriculum content. Review of audiotapes identified emergent themes used to categorize perceived learning experiences. RESULTS Two focus groups including 13 students and 1 focus group including 5 faculty were conducted. Four dominant categories of OR learning were identified: (1) development of a foundation of clinical knowledge; (2) surgical technique and skill acquisition; (3) personal insight into career choice; and (4) surgical culture and OR functioning. CONCLUSIONS Students and faculty were aligned regarding general categories of key OR learning experiences, building an experiential framework for developing OR-specific learning objectives and curricular components.

Fortifying the Pipeline to Leadership: The International Center for Executive Leadership in Academics at Drexel

Abstract Despite two decades of increasing numbers of women entering the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), women remain sparsely represented in academic leadership. Two national programs, the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM®) program and the Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering program at Drexel University (ELATE at Drexel®) uniquely enhance the personal and professional skills of participants through experiential learning that increases organizational leadership capacity and innovation in their institutions while building a trusted learning community. This chapter describes the process of translating the successful ELAM leadership learning model to one that more broadly serves faculty in universities and colleges. Program evaluation is continuous and multidimensional, based upon participant experience during the fellowship and leadership advancement in the subsequent years. The outcome of 20 years of ELAM and the first 4 years of ELATE suggests a bright future for women who participate in these fellowships.