Faculty Development Program for Emergency Medicine Physicians in India: A Pilot Program

Background: The specialty of emergency medicine (EM) is developing worldwide at a rapid pace. While more and more postgraduate training programs are developing, a major gap persists in numbers and availability of well-trained academic faculty members. This article describes a pilot faculty development program (FDP) aimed to develop advanced academic skills among a group of EM physicians in India. Methods: A FDP was developed with foundations in adult learning principles, using a combined approach of online and in-person didactic sessions. Specific expectations were established regarding academic contributions to participants' home institutions. Mentorship relationships were established between academic emergency physicians and program participants. Results: A 12-month pilot program was implemented across four EM training programs in India. Nine faculty members completed the full requirements of the pilot program, eight of whom have continued to work as academic faculty members in EM training programs. Academic productivity among these physicians since completion of the program includes 11 abstract publications, six peer-reviewed articles, and 71 mentorship relationships. Program challenges included participant attrition, connectivity issues, and low rates of completion of evaluation requirements by both participants and mentors. Conclusions: This pilot program in faculty development provides a foundation from which further programs may be developed in the international sector. Effective faculty development is a cornerstone of good academic medicine, which is of particular relevance, importance, and challenge in the global context of a developing specialty.