The UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine offers a 10-month-long faculty development fellowship for family medicine and primary care faculty members.

Why complete a faculty development fellowship?

Previous research found that the primary reason for residents not to pursue a career in academic medicine was the lack of preparation and mentorship. The UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine Faculty Development Fellowship is a longitudinal program aimed at preparing participants for a career in medical education through the acquisition of skills in effective teaching, scholarship, and leadership in academia and clinical practice.

This fellowship is open to family medicine and other primary care faculty members interested in improving their teaching and professional skills. Fellows will be selected on the basis of their level of interest and dedication, career stage, and support of their program director or chair. Accepted candidates will be notified on a rolling basis during and immediately after the period of solicitation of applications.

The Four Areas of Focus

The content of the fellowship centers on four domains deemed important for success as a faculty member in primary care:

• Teaching (e.g. producing effective presentations, providing effective feedback, working with struggling learners)
• Scholarship (e.g., conducting quality improvement projects, formulating research questions, collecting data on a relevant clinical issue)
• Leadership (e.g., developing emotional intelligence, creating and leading successful teams, facilitating resilience and wellness for oneself and others)
• Practice Transformation (e.g., implementing digital tools in healthcare, leveraging resources to maximize patient impact, shifting focus to prevention and wellness)

What's Included

• 9 four-hour sessions of instruction and collaboration (2 in-person, 7 virtual)
• Extensive and in-depth training with nationally recognized experts in family medicine, clinical education, research methods, leadership, development, and team science
• All required texts and other instructional materials
• Access to individual coaching focused on specific professional development goals

Program Expectations

• Attend all 9 sessions. Missing more than one session may disqualify the participant for recognized fellowship completion. Both the first and final sessions will be held on UAB's campus in Community Health (CH20) on 20th Street South. The remaining sessions are via Zoom. All sessions are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the first Friday of each month, September 2023 through May 2024.  The specific dates are Sept. 1 (in person), Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1, Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 1, April 5, and May 3 (in person).Missing more than one session may disqualify the participant for fellowship completion.
• Contribute to a group scholarly research project.
• Complete off-campus pre-session work and other assignments (approximately 2 hours each month) and submit some of the work as requested.

How to Apply

Applicants must have the explicitly stated support of their residency program director or department chair to participate. Applicants should submit the following materials no later than Friday, July 16, 2023.

• Completed brief application form (click here)

Please email the following documents to Michael Wiederman, Ph.D.:

• A signed letter of nomination and support from your residency program director or department chair
• A current curriculum vita (CV)

If you have questions, please contact Michael Wiederman, Ph.D.

Irfan Asif, M.D.
Professor, Chair, Associate Dean for Primary Care and Rural Health
imasif@uabmc.edu 

Michael Wiederman
Professor
mwiederman@uabmc.edu