Professional Development Programs

The Academic Writing Program (AWP) provides faculty with the opportunity to further develop more effective academic writing skills and competencies through experiential workshops and peer coaching. The focus of the AWP program is to provide participants with useful practices, skills, and critical feedback on writing for publication, which is critical for academic advancement. Writing workshops provide a venue for peer coaching on pieces developed outside of sessions, with the goal of preparing manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals. Find out more information on AWP here.

The BUMG Clinician Educator Leadership Program (CELP) is a pilot program to substantively support the retention, advancement, promotion, and vitality of diverse BUMG Clinician Educators to improve the education and training of BUSM students, trainees, and faculty. By providing protected time, skills, and accountability the program will improve Clinician Educators’ (CEs) ability to conduct rigorous educational program design, evaluation, and scholarly dissemination. 10% FTE clinical effort forgiveness provided for faculty. Find out more information on CELP here.

The CLP is a longitudinal professional development program for inpatient and ambulatory Medical Directors at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Participants engage in self-reflection and evaluation, peer and senior mentoring networks, and the development of strategic leadership and inter-disciplinary collaboration skills through experiential and project-based learning. Find out more information on CLP here.

The Early Career program is a longitudinal faculty development program for BUMC Instructors & Assistant Professors. The Early Career program includes peer and senior mentoring, experiential career development seminars, and the completion of an academic project. Participants meet for 14 sessions on Mondays 2:30 – 5:00 PM, September – May. Find out more information on ECP here.

The Louis W. Sullivan, MD, Academic Leadership Program(ALP) is a selective program for high potential faculty from Underrepresented Groups (URG*) in Medicine who would benefit from protected time to complete a project that will advance their careers. The program addresses concerns raised by URG faculty in a BUMG 12/2019 needs assessment concerning lack of protected time, mentoring, and writing support. Potential program participants will apply with a project that will substantively advance their careers, a clear timeline, and specific deliverable that can be accomplished within the academic year. In addition, faculty will be provided with 4 types of mentoring: a leadership sponsor; a senior mentor with expertise relevant to the project; writing coaching; and peer mentoring.Faculty will receive .10 FTE for the academic year. Find out more information on ALP here.

The Dr. Marcelle M. Willock, MD, Faculty Development and Diversity Program (FDP)is a longitudinal leadership and career development program for faculty members from under-represented racial and ethnic groups on the BU Medical Campus (Schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Dentistry). This program provides URG faculty with community and a sense of belonging at BUMC. In addition, FDP helps faculty develop the strategies to advance their careers and skills to navigate the complexities of being URG in academic health sciences. Find out more information on FDP here.

The Mid-Career Faculty Leadership Program is a longitudinal, mid-career faculty development program for BUMC Late Assistant Professors (7+ yrs.),  all Associate Professors and full Professors  at BUSM, GSDM and BUSPH. The MFLP uses experiential and project-based learning to engage participants in 360 evaluation, self-reflection, inter-disciplinary collaboration, broad peer and senior mentoring networks, and the enhancement of transformational education, clinical, research, and strategic leadership skills. Participants meet for six 2-day modules from July through June.
Find out more information on MFL here.

Writing from the Front Lines of Clinical Care, Education, and Research provides faculty with the opportunity to develop narrative skills and competencies through reflective writing, reading, and listening. Such narrative training fosters writing skills and professional well-being while offering a framework for establishing empathic and collaborative teams. The curriculum is designed to help faculty engage with narrative themes relevant to the daily lives of health care and sciences professionals, with the goal of coaching participants in preparing at least one piece of writing to a form suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal/ newspaper/creative anthology/website by the end of the course. Find out more information on NWP here.

A range of programs are offered based on needs identified by women faculty at BUMC, including seminars, mentor and mentee training, panel discussion and networking events, a lending library of books, and online resources. Programming is overseen by a Women’s Leadership Advisory Board with the goal of promoting gender equity at BUMC.

The Women’s Leadership Program (WLP) is a longitudinal program for BUMC women faculty in leadership roles. The program uses self-assessment and reflection, experiential learning, and peer and senior mentorship to provide faculty with the tools necessary to navigate a successful career in academic medicine, and to foster leadership skills that enable participants to positively affect change from where they stand. Participants meet on Wednesday afternoons from 3-5 PM for 15 sessions from September to June. Find out more information on WLP here. 

Individual career consultations and CV reviews are available to BUSM faculty at all academic ranks to improve the effectiveness of their CVs, and to strategize for career advancement and promotion. Faculty may meet with Emelia Benjamin (Assistant Provost, Faculty Development, BUMC ) or Angelique Harris (Director, Faculty Development, BUMC) throughout the year on a first-come-first serve basis. To schedule, contact our office at bumcfdd@bu.edu. 

For more information on faculty appointments and promotions, please click here.

• BUSM CV
• BUSM Promotions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• BUSM Faculty Appointments and Promotions Forms

Seminars are open to all faculty, BU/BMC administrative directors and senior directors. Seminars focus on leadership, education, research, quality improvement, wellness, diversity and academic promotion. Seminars are offered from 12-1pm on different days of the week through the year for CME credit. For more information on our seminars, see our schedule here.

AAMC Minority Faculty Leadership Development Seminar 

The three day Minority Faculty Leadership Development Seminar brings together junior faculty from across the United States and provides participants with real-world guidance and tools for pursuing career advancement in academic medicine. The seminar will help participants develop key professional competencies that build skills in grant writing and communications, while expanding their network of colleagues and role models. Due to COVID-19 this year’s seminar has been canceled, be on the lookout for more information from AAMC soon.

BUMG will reimburse the first 3 faculty members that apply for the seminar for their registration fees, travel, and accommodations.  

AAMC Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar 

This leadership development seminar focuses on women physicians and scientists holding medical school appointments at the associate professor level, and holding leadership positions within their discipline, department or institution. The seminar’s three and a half day curriculum is designed to provide mid-career faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to support progress along the path to leadership in academic medicine and science. The seminar covers organizational leadership topics and skills specifically relevant for mid-career faculty such as sponsorship, negotiation, funding the academic mission, resilience and wellness, communication and influence, and other topics central to enacting effective collaboration and demonstrated leadership in various mission-critical activities.

BUMG will reimburse the first 3 faculty members that are admitted to the seminar for their registration fees, travel, and accommodations.

Boston University has joined the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) as an Institutional Member for a pilot year, beginning August 30, 2018. The NCFDD is a nationally-recognized, independent organization that provides online career development and mentoring resources for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students. Our institutional membership will provide access for all Boston University faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students to utilize NCFDD’s broad range of online virtual programs and resources.