Determining essential faculty competencies

Abstract

This study identified nonclinical competencies needed by faculty members in family medicine to fulfill their academic responsibilities. The competencies that were identified served as one of the bases for development of a model curriculum in faculty development. Names of 452 “exemplar”; faculty members were obtained from departments of medical education in schools of medicine, departments of family medicine, and residency programs in family medicine. Exemplar faculty were considered highly able to identify competencies critical for their success and applicable to other faculty. A questionnaire was mailed to all those identified, with 61% responding. Analyses were undertaken, comparisons were made, and conclusions were drawn. The overall conclusions is that competencies have been identified that describe generic essential faculty abilities, and these can serve as an important basis for development of the model curriculum.