Long-term follow-up of a longitudinal faculty development program in teaching skills.
BACKGROUND
The long-term impact of longitudinal faculty development programs (FDPs) is not well understood.


OBJECTIVE
To follow up past participants in the Johns Hopkins Faculty Development Program in Teaching Skills and members of a comparison group in an effort to describe the long-term impact of the program.


METHODS
In July 2002, we surveyed all 242 participants in the program from 1987 through 2000, and 121 members of a comparison group selected by participants as they entered the program from 1988 through 1995.


METHODS
Professional characteristics, scholarly activity, teaching activity, teaching proficiency, and teaching behaviors.


RESULTS
Two hundred participants (83%) and 99 nonparticipants (82%) responded. When participants and nonparticipants from 1988 to 1995 were compared, participants were more likely to have taught medical students and house officers in the last year (both P<.05). Participants rated their proficiency for giving feedback more highly (P<.05). Participants scored higher than nonparticipants for 14 out of 15 behaviors related to being learner centered, building a supportive learning environment, giving and receiving feedback, and being effective leaders, half of which were statistically significant (P<.05). When remote and recent participants from 1987 through 2000 were compared with each other, few differences were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Participation in the longitudinal FDP was associated with continued teaching activities, desirable teaching behaviors, and higher self-assessments related to giving feedback and learner centeredness. Institutions should consider supporting faculty wishing to participate in FDPs in teaching skills.
Knight
Amy M
AM
Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. aknight@jhmi.edu
Cole
Karan A
KA
Kern
David E
DE
Barker
L Randol
LR
Kolodner
Ken
K
Wright
Scott M
SM
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013192:Staff Development