Outcomes of a faculty development conference in Mongolia

Abstract

Background: Medical Education International (MEI), an organization that provides faculty development to medical educators in developing countries, wanted information on the program effectiveness of its faculty development conferences.

Objectives: To assess the outcomes of an MEI faculty development conference in Mongolia on the knowledge, confidence in applying new skills, and attitudes of participants.

Methods: A retrospective pretest survey of participants was used to assess the outcomes of a 3-day faculty development conference given twice at the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences.  The survey assessed participant views on their ability to meet the objectives of the conference, the perceived overall value of the conference, and their suggestions for improvements in future MEI conferences.

Results: Twenty participants (65%) completed surveys. Participants reported significant changes in agreement with their ability to meet the objectives of the conference in all of the pre-post measures (pre-post p<0.001). The value of attending the conference was ranked at a mean score of 4.05 on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating “Strongly Disagree” and 5 “Strongly Agree.”  Conference attendees indicated interest in additional training on more advanced topics.    

Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicate that conference attendees gained knowledge and confidence in applying new skills and valued the training received from a faculty development conference led by physicians from the USA.  Further research is needed to determine long-term impact on residency education in Mongolia.