Contribution of faculty developmental programmes to professional identity development of medical educators in Malaysia: A phenomenological study

OBJECTIVE: Professional identity development (PID) of academicians is triggered by numerous elements, including faculty development programmes (FDP). The study aims at exploring how FDPs contribute to PID among junior medical educationists.

METHODS: A qualitative phenomenological study was carried out in six Malaysian public medical schools from 15th March to 15th April 2019. A total of 10 junior medical educationists participated in the study. A purposive sampling technique was utilised to select eligible participants. A series of semi-structured interviews was conducted to collect the data using a pre-determined interview protocol. The collected data were then analysed using open, axial, and selective coding methods assisted by ATLAS.ti software.

RESULTS: Three themes (i.e. personal growth, professional growth, and self-reflective practice) and nine sub-themes (i.e. self-awareness, intention, internal satisfaction, career pathway, maintaining professional skills, acquiring new knowledge, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and areas for improvement) emerged from the data analysis.

CONCLUSION: The study showed that PID could be developed through personal growth, professional growth, and self-reflective practice. Policymakers should focus on these characteristics during training sessions designed for the professional development of their medical faculty staff.