Faculty Development

The Office of Research has teamed up with the Offices of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development to create an educational series designed to help you learn how to develop a funded research program. Whether you're new to grant writing or looking to strengthen your research funding strategy, this series provides practical guidance and resources to support your success. Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits are currently being applied for to support your professional development.

Are you looking to foster your personal and professional growth while making a lasting impact on the next generation of physicians? The Offices of Faculty Affairs & Development and Student Affairs & Medical Education are excited to announce our Autonomy in Practice: Foundations of Coaching program.

This efficient 4-session program will equip you with evidence-based coaching techniques to unlock the innate potential of learners. In-person sessions are dedicated to hands-on coaching practice with real-time feedback and expert guidance from professional coaches, while flexible remote reading and discussions fit your busy schedule. You'll guide students in developing self-directed, lifelong learning habits—a critical necessity in the rapidly evolving world of healthcare—while building skills that benefit team members, peer support, and the next generation of physicians.

Program Leader: Binata Mukherjee, M.D., M.B.A., Assistant Dean of Faculty and Professional Development and Director of Healthcare Leadership Initiatives

Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits are currently being applied for to support your professional development.

The Office of Graduate Medical Education has partnered with the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development to offer the Residents as Teachers (RAT) program—a structured initiative designed to train medical residents in essential educational, leadership, and feedback skills. Addressing the fact that residents spend approximately 20% of their time teaching without formal training, this program equips participants with techniques to effectively teach medical students, peers, and patients. The curriculum focuses on adult learning theory, bedside teaching, providing constructive feedback, and improving clinical mentorship skills—enhancing the ability of residents to teach while improving patient care and educational outcomes.

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development hosts monthly Faculty Development Grand Rounds—1-hour virtual sessions on varying topics designed to support your professional growth and development. These engaging sessions provide valuable insights, practical strategies, and opportunities to connect with colleagues across diverse areas of academic medicine. Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits are provided.

Registration Link: https://southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/register/xFsnboSfQUunCOAbbyMDsg

The MERC program helps you build the skills to understand and participate in medical education research. You'll learn how to critically read educational research studies and work effectively as part of a research team.

This program, presented by the AAMC and hosted through the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, is perfect for clinicians and educators who have teaching experience but want to develop their research skills. Whether you're looking to contribute to educational projects or better understand the research behind teaching practices, MERC provides practical training to get you there. An application process is required to participate.

 

The program features interactive three-hour workshops that focus on real-world applications. Each session tackles a different aspect of educational research through hands-on activities and group participation.

Website for more info: https://www.aamc.org/about-us/mission-areas/medical-education/meded-research-certificate-program

Ready to revolutionize your teaching with artificial intelligence? The Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development offers a comprehensive workshop series designed for health professions educators who want to harness the power of AI tools while maintaining ethical teaching practices.

Whether you're completely new to AI or already experimenting with these emerging technologies, this hands-on series will provide you with practical skills and ethical frameworks to enhance your teaching effectiveness. Moving beyond theoretical discussions, you'll gain real experience with AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Bing Copilot to create compelling educational content, generate assessments, and develop clinical scenarios—all while navigating the important ethical considerations of integrating AI into medical education.

Throughout the series, you'll explore AI fundamentals and their applications in medical education, experiment with various AI tools in hands-on labs, develop policies for ethical AI use, practice AI-human teaching simulations, and ultimately design your own custom AI-enhanced teaching activity that you can immediately implement in your courses.

This workshop is particularly valuable for faculty looking to enhance teaching efficiency, stay current with educational technology trends, and develop responsible frameworks for AI integration.

Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits are currently being applied for to support your professional development.

The Learning Launch Pad is an online library where faculty can access previously recorded programming and newly developed content to earn CME credits at their convenience. This flexible resource allows you to explore a wide range of professional development topics—from grant writing and coaching skills to educational research, teaching techniques, and AI integration in medical education—all on your own schedule.

Whether you missed a live session or want to revisit key concepts, the Learning Launch Pad provides on-demand access to high-quality faculty development programming. Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits are provided for completed courses.  Then we need to have a way to take them to that page- once it is developed.

The Chair Development Series, offered by the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, is designed to support department chairs in developing the leadership skills essential for success in their roles. This program provides a structured opportunity to evaluate your role as a chair, formulate strategies to actualize your department's vision in alignment with the organization's mission, and build a strong network of chairs across USA Health and the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine.

Through collaborative learning and shared experiences, participants gain practical insights and tools to navigate the complexities of academic leadership while fostering meaningful connections with colleagues facing similar challenges and opportunities.

Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits are currently being applied for to support your professional development.

Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development:

Emily Wilson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development
emilyw@southalabama.edu

Binata Mukherjee, M.D., M.B.A.
Assistant Dean, Faculty and Professional Development
Director, Healthcare Leadership Initiatives
(251) 460-6102 
bmukherjee@southalabama.edu

Jeanna Smith
Executive Director, Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development
(251) 460-7708
jmsmith@southalabama.edu

Amanda Arnold
Education & Training Specialist, Faculty Development
(251) 460-6823
akarnold@southalabama.edu

Heather Fleming
Assistant Director, Office of Faculty Affairs
(251) 460-7648
hdfleming@southalabama.edu

Alice Nolen
Faculty Affairs Specialist, Office of Faculty Affairs
(251) 460-6832
anolen@southalabama.edu

Katherine Harden
Secretary V, Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development
(251) 460-6421
kharden@southalabama.edu

 

For Verification of Academic Appointments:

Alice Nolen
Phone: (251) 460-6832
Email: anolen@southalabama.edu