title: Model for Developing Educational Research Productivity: The Medical Education Research Group.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Education research and scholarship are essential for promotion of faculty as well as dissemination of new educational practices. Educational faculty frequently spend the majority of their time on administrative and educational commitments and as a result educators often fall behind on scholarship and research. The objective of this educational advance is to promote scholarly productivity as a template for others to follow.
  
  
  METHODS
  We formed the Medical Education Research Group (MERG) of education leaders from our emergency medicine residency, fellowship, and clerkship programs, as well as residents with a focus on education. First, we incorporated scholarship into the required activities of our education missions by evaluating the impact of programmatic changes and then submitting the curricula or process as peer-reviewed work. Second, we worked as a team, sharing projects that led to improved motivation, accountability, and work completion. Third, our monthly meetings served as brainstorming sessions for new projects, research skill building, and tracking work completion. Lastly, we incorporated a work-study graduate student to assist with basic but time-consuming tasks of completing manuscripts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MERG group has been highly productive, achieving the following scholarship over a three-year period: 102 abstract presentations, 46 journal article publications, 13 MedEd Portal publications, 35 national didactic presentations and five faculty promotions to the next academic level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An intentional focus on scholarship has led to a collaborative group of educators successfully improving their scholarship through team productivity, which ultimately leads to faculty promotions and dissemination of innovations in education.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hopson
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: House
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dooley-Hash
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hauff
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Children's Emergency Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Margaret S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sozener
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Children's Emergency Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nypaver
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Eve D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Losman
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Children's Emergency Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Santen
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004526:Efficiency; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008824:Michigan; D017146:Models, Organizational; D012106:Research / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data