Mutual mentoring: Effect on faculty career achievements and experiences.

Introduction: In an ever-changing academic environment, the traditional model of one senior mentor is no longer sufficient to provide faculty with the interdisciplinary perspective needed for success. We adapted, implemented and examined an interschool/interprofessional Mutual Mentoring Program.Methods: Participants were expected to expand their mentoring networks, formulate career goals and achievement plans, and, achieve concrete career goal(s). Participants were offered a 1-year mentoring network grant. To examine short-term outcomes, we collected participants' lists of contacts and accomplished goals, and asked for immediate feedback on the program. To examine intermediate outcomes, we conducted 30-min interviews with participants after 1 year of participation. We used quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyze the data from four program cohorts.Results: Thirty-seven faculty participated throughout the four academic years. Participants reported 260 contacts made, and achieved goals related to academic products and outcomes. Eleven participants were interviewed and highlighted professional achievements, the power of the established networks, gained career resources, and the accomplishment of significant personal changes.Conclusions: This approach provides the type of multiple mentoring support that is necessary for today's academic climate for faculty to obtain their career goals, to demonstrate the institutional commitment to faculty success and to provide avenues for interdisciplinary connections.

An interdisciplinary, team-based design for an oral and maxillofacial radiology course for postdoctoral dental students.

This article describes the transition of an oral and maxillofacial radiology course from a traditional lecture format to an interactive case-based, team-based, interdisciplinary, and intraprofessional learning model in advanced dental education. Forty-four postdoctoral dental students were enrolled in the course over a twelve-week period in the fall semester 2012. The class consisted of U.S.- and foreign-trained dentists enrolled in advanced education programs in various dental disciplines. The course faculty preassigned interdisciplinary teams with four or five students in each. The class met once a week for an hour. Ten of the twelve sessions consisted of a team presentation, individual quiz, team quiz, and case discussion. Each member of a team completed peer evaluation of other team members during weeks six and twelve of the course. The final course grade was a composite of individual and team quiz grades, team presentation, and peer evaluation grades. The overall class average was 90.43. Ninety-five percent of the class (42/44) had total team grades equal to or greater than total individual quiz grades. The objective of creating a new case-based, team-based, interdisciplinary, intraprofessional learning model in advanced dental education was achieved, and the initial student perception of the new format was positive.

A tool for measuring active learning in the classroom.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a valid and reliable active-learning inventory tool for use in large classrooms and compare faculty perceptions of active-learning using the Active-Learning Inventory Tool. METHODS: The Active-Learning Inventory Tool was developed using published literature and validated by national experts in educational research. Reliability was established by trained faculty members who used the Active-Learning Inventory Tool to observe 9 pharmacy lectures. Instructors were then interviewed to elicit perceptions regarding active learning and asked to share their perceptions. RESULTS: Per lecture, 13 (range: 4-34) episodes of active learning encompassing 3 (range: 2-5) different types of active learning occurred over 2.2 minutes (0.6-16) per episode. Both interobserver (> or = 87%) and observer-instructor agreement (> or = 68%) were high for these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The Active-Learning Inventory Tool is a valid and reliable tool to measure active learning in the classroom. Future studies are needed to determine the impact of the Active-Learning Inventory Tool on teaching and its usefulness in other disciplines.