FACULTY-DEVELOPMENT IN CANADIAN MEDICAL-SCHOOLS - A 10-YEAR UPDATE

Objective: To compare the current status of faculty development practi ces in Canadian medical schools with the status of such practices in 1 986. Design: Mail survey. Setting: All 16 Canadian medical schools. Pa rticipants: Faculty development coordinators at the medical schools. O utcome measures: Existence of faculty development committees, funding for faculty development activities, types of activities and recognitio n of faculty participation in such activities. Results: Completed resp onses were received from all schools. They indicated a significant, po sitive evolution in faculty development since the previous survey, con ducted in 1986. Most schools have established a faculty development co mmittee and provide funds for such activities as workshops,sabbatical leaves and conference attendance. Although traditional development pra ctices are prevalent, there is now widespread emphasis on computer tec hnology, information retrieval, management skills and research. Experi enced faculty and other experts are more widely used for consultation on teaching. Very little has been done to evaluate the impact of facul ty development. Conclusion: Faculty development in Canadian medical sc hools has undergone a major, positive transition during the last 10 ye ars.