More leaders, better education, dissemination of new ideas and concepts
Intellectual challenge, improving skills, clinical or teaching or research
Social contact and support
Looking for change, new job
Get academic rewards, promotion, and advance career
Typical Approach for the more formal fellowships – Ivory Tower from on high down to lessers, academic credentials in a formal setting
Typical approach for preceptor education – still a top-down approach, works if knowledge is a secret or possessed by only a few. There are better approaches, involving lots of two way communication with those organizing program and those with needs.
Example 1 - Meeting of rural preceptors in a town, have learners present as well, I was there for three tasks:
1. I asked the group what did you wish that you had learned that would help you for (rural, faculty, etc.) practice?
2. I asked what assets do you have to help learners (doctors, staff, community leaders, government, etc.?
3. I worked with the group to match needs in number 1 to assets in 2, I asked, hoped, and prayed that preceptors would be sure to meet with learners early, middle, and late. To plan, correct plan, and give feedback. This local faculty development plan can be a few hours, 2 sessions, or even more formal. Example was a consult to Oklahoma town and med school
Example 2 - Rural Minifellowship – identify rural faculty by mailings to chairs, those attending rural meetings, set up a program and describe it to faculty, 4 sessions over a year with a rural project, get applications and needs of minifellows, set up speakers at meetings to interact with, schedule time to review projects with other minifellows and other rural faculty, invite others at meetings to join group at sessions, lunches, dinners. Promote mixture of new and experienced programs and faculty. Site visits done also. Example was East Tn State Minifellowship I directed and STFM preconf 2 day workshop done on our own in Group on Rural Health
Example 3 - (hopefully) Office of Rural Health Policy has $50-60,000 for meeting for rural training track. Typical approach is to contract with consultants and buy space at a hotel away from training. Hope to convince them to use the multi-meeting approach and work with established and new RTT programs rather than one meeting of "experts". I learn more from the "novices" with innovative ideas or the pros who have stolen and reviewed these ideas than I do from the more crusty folks at the top. Also site visits or a meeting at one or more innovative sites.