Faculty Factory

Joining us this week on the Faculty Factory Podcast is Robert Tillman, PhD, as we explore how developing high levels of self-efficacy can help make the challenges we face in academic medicine easier to overcome.

With Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Dr. Tillman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education, Innovation & Technology. He also serves as the Director of Professional Development and Mentoring in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and as an Assistant Dean in Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development with Baylor.

In this episode, he kicks off his inaugural appearance on our show with an insightful exploration of self-efficacy.

“When we’re doing something we really like and we have a high level of self-efficacy, the challenges become easier to overcome,” he told us.

As mentioned in today’s chat, if you work regularly with a coach, mentor, or someone else who assists you along your journey, it could be helpful to explore what sources of self-efficacy you need with them and even try to develop a checklist.

Dr. Tillman will be joining us this spring for more episodes as we look forward to learning more incredibly insightful and helpful faculty development content from him. Please stay tuned to our podcast for new episodes every Friday, as he will be back soon!

Self-efficacy boils down to believing in oneself, and in academic medicine, we can accomplish much more when we understand the sources of self-efficacy we need to flourish and discover how we can obtain it.

Please visit our website for more resources: https://facultyfactory.org/ 

It may not be surprising to those of us working in academic medicine, but teaching can be cathartic, and there are strategic ways to embrace how it contributes to our wellness.

That's essentially the thesis behind this week's episode of the Faculty Factory Podcast, featuring our guest Lyuba Konopasek, MD.

Dr. Konopasek is Senior Associate Dean for Education at Frank H. Netter School of Medicine of Quinnipiac University. As Dr. Konopasek tells us in this interview, she is a “pediatrician first and a medical education nerd second.”

As it will become clear by listening to today’s interview, within her career she has conducted a lot of research around wellbeing.

Dr. Konopasek offers us two foundational tips for efficient and effective teaching. Not only do these tips aim to bring joy to the teacher, but they also bring joy to the learner due to the reciprocal gain in these healthy learning environments.

Similar to having a healthy coaching relationship, an effective teacher tends to start from a place of curiosity while withholding judgement. Another hallmark of a healthy teaching environment is knowing who your learner is and adapting your teaching style accordingly.

Tune into the full episode to learn more about today’s episode, and as always, we encourage you to visit us at FacultyFactory.org for more resources: https://facultyfactory.org/

This week, Farzana Hoque, MD, MRCP, FACP, FRCP, joins the Faculty Factory Podcast for her first appearance, and it’s a memorable discussion spanning some of the most important aspects of self-care.

Dr. Hoque is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine and the Co-Director of the Medicine Acting Internship at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. She also serves as the inaugural Medical Director of Bordley Tower at SSM Health, Saint Louis University Hospital, and she is President of the Society of Hospital Medicine’s St. Louis Chapter.

Dr. Hoque shares her unique journey as an international medicine graduate, a person of color in academic medicine, her experiences with promotion, lessons learned, emotional intelligence for physician leaders, and details about her vibrant and rapidly growing YouTube channel.

• You can visit her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Dr.FarzanaHoque

“People are the greatest asset. If people do not admire or trust us, we won’t be able to get anywhere. People skills are the greatest skills for anyone, especially for a woman of color in academia, and really in any industry,” she told us.

When it comes to emotional intelligence, a gem of advice we receive from Dr. Hoque is that it’s important to take a pause, think logically, and avoid the emotions that might overtake your clear decision-making process during a challenging moment of stress.

Our friend Susan Pollart, MD, returns to the Faculty Factory Podcast this week with an interview highlighting the importance of supporting faculty at different career stages, with a strong focus on later career transitions.

She currently serves as Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development and the Ruth E. Murdaugh Professor of Family Medicine Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

Dr. Pollart joined our podcast in two previous episodes, and you can catch up on those interviews here:

• A Faculty Factory Interview with Susan M. Pollart, MD, MS: https://facultyfactory.org/susan-pollart/

Congratulations are in order for Dr. Pollart, as she was awarded the AAMC’s 2023 Carole J. Bland Phronesis Award. You can learn more about that here: https://news.med.virginia.edu/honors-awards/susan-m-pollart-md-awarded-aamcs-phronesis-award/

Dr. Pollart emphasizes the value of creating flexible models that allow individuals to adjust their engagement levels based on personal circumstances, reducing burnout and increasing overall career satisfaction. The discussion touches on the concept of an Emeritus academy and explores the idea of a phased retirement approach.

Furthermore, this insightful conversation with Dr. Pollart underscores the necessity of adapting institutional structures to meet the evolving demands of faculty members throughout their careers.

Resources Mentioned:

Mass Career Customization: Aligning the Workplace With Today's Nontraditional Workforce book: https://www.amazon.com/Mass-Career-Customization-Workplace-Nontraditional/dp/1422110338

The Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program: https://drexel.edu/medicine/academics/womens-health-and-leadership/elam/

Learn More

Visit FacultyFactory.org: https://facultyfactory.org/

Beatriz Tapia, MD, EdD, MPH, is our guest on the Faculty Factory Podcast this week as we discuss the evolving academic medicine landscape and the role of faculty development programs in ensuring success for faculty while keeping up with these changes.

Dr. Tapia is the Interim Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, Assistant Dean of Faculty Development & CME, and an Associate Professor, Pediatrics, at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.

The AAMC’s Group on Faculty Affairs (GFA) has played a crucial role in organizing and coordinating these efforts. We applaud the volunteers contributing to the GFA, including Dr. Tapia and many others!

You can read Dr. Tapia's AAMC presentation: "Assessing the Role of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development Offices in the Contemporary Academic Medicine Landscape." 

“We are seeing changes in terms of developments of new schools, and we saw an opportunity to really ask, who constructs an Office of Faculty Affairs and what are the current roles and have they changed?” she told us.

It probably comes as no surprise that research and hard work are at the forefront of determining the next steps for faculty development and the role and tactics of the faculty affairs department to ensure we keep up with the changing times.

Eric S. Holmboe, MD, is our guest this week on the Faculty Factory Podcast as we talk all things “outcomes-based approaches.”

Dr. Holmboe previously served as Chief Research, Milestone Development, and Evaluation Officer with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

In October 2023, he was named CEO of Intealth.

“You want to make sure you’re meeting the needs of the public and the community you are serving, and the ultimate outcomes are about how well are we caring for the health and health care of the people we serve,” he told us.

Please visit the FacultyFactory.org website for more information:  https://facultyfactory.org/

Today’s Faculty Factory Podcast includes a mock, role-play coaching session as Rachel B. Levine, MD, MPH, joins our show to discuss embracing a coaching mindset.

As a recurring guest on our show, this is Dr. Levine’s fourth time as a guest on our podcast. She currently serves as a Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Faculty Educational Development with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s Office of Faculty Development.

While listening to today’s coaching demo, pay attention to the coach’s use of 'curious questions,' which are fundamental to a productive coach-coachee relationship.

"A curious question is a question only the person being asked the question knows the answer to," Dr. Levine said.

Some Key Resources Related to Today’s Episode:

• International Coaching Federation’s Core Competencies 

Please be sure to catch up on the previous Faculty Factory interviews with Dr. Levine here:

• Organizational Savvy, Relationships, Followership, and Sponsorship with Rachel B. Levine, MD, MPH

Thanks for being a loyal listener to the Faculty Factory and please submit a suggestion for a topic you would like us to cover or nominate a guest for us to interview by contacting us here.

When you are done listening to today's episode, please make sure to more resources on our website: https://facultyfactory.org/ 

Dr. Lee’s message is clear: “don’t simply do more; produce more.”

As we enter a new year and the sixth season of the Faculty Factory Podcast, we are extra excited for this week’s episode as we welcome Jennifer Lee, MD, back to the show for her third appearance.

In this episode, Dr. Lee describes various prioritization strategies that faculty can begin to employ to resist burnout by focusing on producing more, instead of simply doing more, with the end result being increased efficiency and more effective time management.

“When I think about producing more, and not just doing more, I think about time management as actually being energy management,” she told us.

Dr. Lee currently serves as Senior Associate Dean for the Office of Women in Science and Medicine, and she is also Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) and Pediatrics with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

She has previously appeared on two important episodes of our program, which you can revisit below:

• A Leadership Roadmap for Faculty with Jennifer Lee, MD: https://facultyfactory.org/leadership-roadmap/

Dr. Lee suggests aligning tasks with personal priorities, understanding your own energy patterns, and being intentional. The conversation delves into the dopamine surge from completing tasks, but Dr. Lee warns against getting addicted to checking off items without meaningful progress.

As a friendly reminder, we love to learn from faculty members around the world! If you or someone you’d like to nominate wants to be a guest on our show, reach out to us via the Contact Us page on FacultyFactory.org or email us here: [email protected].

Today’s episode of the Faculty Factory is a “Best of” show that includes highlights from past interviews of our show about what goes into writing a successful grant. 

This is Part 2 of a 2-part series. You can listen to Part 1 here: https://facultyfactory.org/best-grants-in-academic-medicine/ 

As a friendly programming reminder, we will be back in 2024 with brand new episodes of the Faculty Factory Podcast! Today’s “Best of” show includes highlights, snippets and clips from the following episodes (appearing in order):

• Episode 47 - Applying for Funding, Top Ten Things to Know with Donna L. Vogel, MD, PhD

Donna L. Vogel, MD, PhD, is a recurring guest on this podcast. She previously held the position of Director, the Professional Development Office, Johns Hopkins University. Before Johns Hopkins, she held the position of Program Director of the Reproductive Medicine grant portfolio at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dionna W. Williams, PhD, serves as assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology with Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. She offers excellent advice on effective and practical strategies to use when looking to acquire funding. Dr. Williams encourages us to “tell a story” when you engage in the grant writing process.

Elise M. Weerts, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences with Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Dr. Weerts has vital experience reviewing grants for National Institutes of Health (NIH) which gave her the foundation of understanding what it takes to write the right grant.

Today’s episode of the Faculty Factory is a “Best of” show that includes highlights from past interviews of our show about what goes into writing a successful grant.

As a friendly programming reminder, we will be back in 2024 with brand new episodes of the Faculty Factory Podcast! Today’s “Best of” show includes highlights, snippets and clips from the following episodes (appearing in order):

• Episode 47 - Applying for Funding, Top Ten Things to Know with Donna L. Vogel, MD, PhD

Donna L. Vogel, MD, PhD, is a recurring guest on this podcast. She previously held the position of Director, the Professional Development Office, Johns Hopkins University. Before Johns Hopkins, she held the position of Program Director of the Reproductive Medicine grant portfolio at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dionna W. Williams, PhD, serves as assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology with Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. She offers excellent advice on effective and practical strategies to use when looking to acquire funding. Dr. Williams encourages us to “tell a story” when you engage in the grant writing process.

Elise M. Weerts, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences with Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Dr. Weerts has vital experience reviewing grants for National Institutes of Health (NIH) which gave her the foundation of understanding what it takes to write the right grant.