Logros más allá de los objetivos: evaluación cualitativa de un programa de formación en educación médica.

Resumen

Introduction: Within medical education there has been increasing emphasis on faculty development programmes aimed at improving students’ learning and the professionalization of teaching. These programmes have been shown to have an impact beyond improvement in teaching skills. The medical school of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (EMUC) has run a faculty development programme (DEM) since 2000. Aim: Explore the perception of the graduates of the impact of having participated in DEM on their development as teachers and clinicians. Methods: Exploratory, descriptive qualitative design. The 79 teachers who graduated from DEM from 2004-2008 were sent a questionnaire containing three open questions. Content analysis of their answers was triangulated with information from the literature. Results: Five categories emerged: I. Faculty development; II. Becoming a better clinician; III. Personal development; IV. Appreciation of the value of teaching. V.Strengthening of the academic community. Graduates felt that not only had they learnt new educational skills but they had changed their attitude towards teaching. DEM was seen as facilitating self-awareness and reflection about the graduates’ roles as doctors and teachers. The graduates also valued meeting other faculty. Characteristics of the planning and design of the programme may have contributed to this wider impact.Conclusion: Faculty Development programmes can have an impact far beyond the learning objectives. This should be taken into consideration in the planning, design and evaluation of faculty development programmes. Care should be taken to protect time for participation, reflexion and for exchange with other academics.