Assessment of the research component in an 11-month interprofessional faculty development program for early career faculty

ObjectivesThis study examined department chairs’ perceptions about the importance of an interprofessional mentor and the completion of a Scholarship in Progress (SiP) pilot research study for early career faculty (ECF) in an 11-month Faculty Leadership Program (FLP) at an Academic Health Center (AHC).BackgroundFLP is a faculty development program for ECF that includes a series of workshops focused on teaching, research/scholarship, and service/leadership skills and roles needed within the AHC environment. FLP participants are required to complete a research pilot project with the help of a research mentor.MethodsA 21-question, web-based survey instrument was developed to assess the value of FLP’s research mentorship and project and was administered to 53 department chairs across the 6 AHC colleges who had FLP participants graduate during 2008 to 2013.ResultsA total of 24 out of 53 (45%) of the department chairs completed the study questionnaire representing 5 of the 6 colleges. Of those responders, 61% reported that having research mentors, such as biostatisticians and 80% reported that having pilot research projects for ECF were important for faculty success at the AHC.ConclusionsThis requirement is important as department chairs report the importance of research mentors, such as biostatisticians and having pilot research projects for faculty success at the AHC.