The annual Henry and Sylvia Wong Forum in Medicine was held, as usual, during McMaster University’s Day in Faculty Development. However, this year the event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Dimitri Papanagnou, the keynote speaker, discussed the future of faculty development in the health professions. He identified five key trends:
- A shift from one-off workshops to competency-based programs: Faculty development programs will need to be more focused on developing specific skills and competencies, rather than just providing general knowledge.
- A focus on communities of practice: Communities of practice can provide faculty with a safe and supportive space to learn from each other and share best practices.
- The need for faculty to be resilient: Faculty development programs will need to help faculty develop the skills and resilience they need to cope with the challenges of the 21st century.
- The increasing importance of online learning: Faculty development programs will need to offer more online options to meet the needs of faculty who are increasingly busy and geographically dispersed.
- A focus on diversity and inclusion: Faculty development programs will need to be more inclusive of faculty from all backgrounds and career stages.
Dr. Papanagnou concluded his talk by calling for a continued dialogue on the future of faculty development.
You can read more about the event here. Also, you can view Dr. Papanagnou’s talk in its entirety on YouTube, below.