Teaching the Teacher: Novel Faculty Development for VA Hospitalists.

Abstract

Background: The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest educator of health professions trainees in the country, but the roles and responsibilities of the modern clinician educator are increasingly challenging and complex. Most VA academic hospitalists with access to professional and faculty development receive it through academic affiliates. Many VA hospitalists lack this option, and teaching within the VA is unique given its specific health system, clinical environments, and patient population.

Observations: Teaching the Teacher is a facilitation-based educational series for inpatient hospitalists at VA medical centers that is tailored to self-reported needs and provides faculty development through the lens of VA medicine. The transition from in-person to synchronous virtual programming allowed for wider dissemination of the program, and to date, 10 VA hospitalist sections across the country have participated in the series.

Conclusions: VA clinicians want and deserve dedicated training to optimize their confidence and skills in their roles as health professions educators. Teaching the Teacher is a pilot faculty development program that has met success based on its goal of meeting the specific needs of VA clinician educators in hospital medicine. It has the potential to serve as a model for clinical educator onboarding and to allow for the rapid spread of best teaching practices among clinical educators.