Faculty Development Initiative at WCMC is Highlighted
Dr. Linda Pololi
Since 2009, Dr. Linda Pololi (Brandeis University) has collaborated with the Department of Medicine on a novel faculty development initiative. The program involves an intense group experience over the course of a year that includes a rigorous curriculum with reflective writing and group dialogue aimed at developing leadership skills, formulating a tailored career development plan for each participant, and fostering a supportive, inclusive and engaging environment. The program provides mentoring for cohorts of early- and mid-career faculty members, including both female and male physicians and scientists, across all the disciplines in the department (e.g., clinical education, basic science research, clinical research). An assessment of the Mentoring Program (MP) and Mentoring for Collaborative Leadership in Academic Medicine (M-CLAM) program, now in their third year, has shown benefits in several domains: engagement, trust, self-efficacy, and empowerment. "There are no short-cuts to effective mentoring and career development," said Dr. Andrew I. Schafer, Chair of the Department of Medicine at WCMC and Physician-in-Chief at NYPH/Weill Cornell. "This program is a central part of a multifaceted approach we have taken."
Dr. Skorton, President of Cornell University, attended one of the mentoring sessions and said, "It's hard to give yourself permission to make choices in life because making one choice, by definition, means you let something else go." He asked the faculty members if the program's emphasis on introspection made them question their chosen vocation. "I think the reflection brought me back to my core values, and I became even more enthusiastic about the choices I've made," responded Dr. Juliet Aizer, assistant professor of clinical medicine. Instead of questioning her decisions, she said the program, in fact, reaffirmed them.
Dr. Linda Pololi is also the lead author of a paper published in the "Journal of General Internal Medicine", entitled "Experiencing the Culture of Academic Medicine: Gender Matters, A National Study." That study highlights problems with the culture of academic medicine, which the mentoring program is designed to address. It was the topic of a recent article in The New York Times Health/Science Section, November 29, 2012, which cited WCMC's Department of Medicine as an innovative initiative.
Related Links
Weill Cornell Newsroom
New York Times Well blog: Sharing the Pain of Women in Medicine
Brandeis University: Dr. Linda Pololi