Office of Faculty Development hosts 2021 FEED Conference

The Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics co-hosted the 2021 Faculty Education, Enrichment and Development (FEED) conference March 12. More than 50 faculty members participated in this year’s virtual event.

As one of the signature events offered by the Department of Medicine’s Office of Faculty Development, the annual conference aims to provide career advancement support for clinician educators, clinical researchers, and basic scientists. Through didactic presentations, panel discussions, and small group exercises, the half-day CME-accredited program provides learning opportunities for faculty of all levels.

This year’s first general session, “Leveraging your Career with Social Media,” explored the roles of social media in medicine and research. A panel of faculty including Sharon Bergquist, MD; Ann Chahroudi, MD, PhD; Kimberly Manning , MD; and Ravi Patel, MD shared their experience leveraging various platforms and how their efforts have impacted their careers. The DOM communications team also shared best practices and steps for establishing a strong digital presence.

“The social media panel was my favorite part of this year’s conference! I have already activated my Twitter account,” said one faculty member.

Following the first session, participants broke into clinician educator and research breakout rooms. The clinician educator group session, “Inclusive Communication is Key: Promoting Strong Mentoring Relationships,” focused on how to strengthen the mentor/mentee relationship through effective communication and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in these relationships. Speakers included Jada Bussey-Jones, MD and Vandana Niyyar, MD.

“I loved the fact that I was able to find out what kind of communicator I am, and how to incorporate that into dealing with my colleagues and trainees,” said another conference attendee.

The researcher group session, “Get your paper published: An Insider’s Guide to the Peer-Review Process,” discussed best practices for responding to reviewers’ critiques and getting a scientific manuscript published. Panelists included Joanna Goldberg, PhD, Jeff Sands, MD, and Dan Wechsler, MD, PhD.

For the last general session, Kathy Griendling, PhD, vice chair of research and faculty development in the DOM, discussed SOM promotion guidelines. The talk was followed by breakout groups to assist faculty in building their promotion documents.

Participants described this year’s conference sessions as very hands-on, informative, and helpful.

Special thanks to all conference presenters, panelists, and attendees for a fantastic event!

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