Dr. Roth

Academic departments can be evaluated by the value of their research and the productivity of their faculty. They can also be judged by more abstract, but equally important measures, such as the learning environment, job satisfaction and organizational climate.

The family medicine department at the Wayne State University School of Medicine has undergone a self-assessment and determined what is necessary to help it develop and remain successful. The result is a nationally-funded project called "The Champions Project: A Two-Tiered Mentoring Approach to Clinical Faculty Development."

Linda Roth, PhD, is assistant professor of family medicine and principal investigator of the Champions Project, a comprehensive departmental program to "facilitate faculty members’ commitment and ability to achieve both their own career goals and their institutions goals," she said. This project, which is likely to become a national model, is designed to enrich faculty members in both their job satisfaction and job skills.

By establishing core competencies in five domains, the department hopes to define goals and develop skills in important areas. The five competency domains are: 1) patient-centered clinical teaching; 2) practicing and teaching evidence-based medicine; 3) conducting and mentoring primary care research; 4) organizational leadership and administration; and 5) professional academic skills.

Each area has a faculty "champion" who is charged with developing that skill within the department through teaching, curriculum and training resources. These champions will continually monitor the needs of the faculty and adjust to them accordingly.

"Even while recent stresses have put increasing pressure upon the resources of the department, we continue to provide a conducive atmosphere in which faculty can flourish," said Dr. Roth. "In essence, the Champions Project is a systematic, collaborative effort among our department members, in concert with national consultants, to achieve higher levels of professional performance in five core areas of faculty competence."

The family medicine champions for each area are as follows:

Patient-Centered Clinical Teaching
John Porcerelli, PhD, and Frederick Rosin, MD

Practicing and Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine
Kendra Schwartz, MD

Conducting and Mentoring Primary Care Research
Victoria Neale, PhD

Organizational Leadership and Administration
Edward Rose, MD

Professional Academic Skills
Maryjean Schenk, MD