Leveling Up: How Practitioners Can Benefit from Medical Education Research

Are you a clinician-educator looking to enhance your skills and gain recognition for your scholarly efforts? The research article "Creating a medical education enterprise: leveling the playing fields of medical education vs. medical science research within core missions" offers valuable insights on how to achieve this. Here’s how you can implement the outcomes of this research to boost your career.

Understanding the Research

The study, conducted by Thammasitboon et al., delves into the disparities between medical science researchers and clinician-educators in terms of recognition and rewards. Using Bolman and Deal’s four frames of organization (structural, human resource, political, symbolic), the authors identify strategies to empower clinician-educators.

Key Strategies for Clinician-Educators

Here are the key strategies derived from the research:

• Structural Frame: Establish a decentralized organization to promote collaboration. Create specific grants for educational activities and provide clear paths for promotion.
• Human Resource Frame: Consolidate expertise within departments to support less experienced educators. Offer financial incentives and protected time for educational efforts.
• Political Frame: Educate medical educators on how to capitalize on scholarly products and expand venues for scholarly activities. Incorporate educational scholarship into incentive programs.
• Symbolic Frame: Ensure consistent messages from leadership regarding the value of educational excellence. Recognize all forms of scholarship equally.

Implementing the Strategies

To implement these strategies, consider the following steps:

• Create a dedicated unit or center for educational research and scholarship.
• Provide workshops and resources to develop faculty skills in educational scholarship.
• Establish clear criteria for promotion that includes educational scholarship.
• Recognize and reward educational achievements in various forums.

Encouraging Further Research

While these strategies provide a solid foundation, it’s crucial to stay updated with ongoing research and trends in medical education. Engaging in further research can help you adapt and refine your approach, ensuring continued growth and recognition in your field.

To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Creating a medical education enterprise: leveling the playing fields of medical education vs. medical science research within core missions.