Work

The Impact of an Indigenous Faculty Forum on American Indian/Alaska Native Medical School Faculty Professional Development: 2017-2025

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Purpose: Indigenous faculty members are underrepresented (<1%) in academic medicine. The Northwest Native American Center of Excellence and the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence co-developed the Indigenous Faculty Forum (IFF), a longitudinal professional development program to promote the advancement of Indigenous faculty in academic medicine. Methods: IFF is a multi-day structured course specifically designed to meet the unique needs of Indigenous academic medicine faculty, addressing four foundational pillars: 1) Cultural and Indigenous Connections, 2) Networking and Fostering Wellness, 3) Skill Building Toward Promotion, and 4) Ongoing Mentorship and Career Planning to Mitigate Isolation and Tokenism that Negatively Affects Promotion and Advancement. To date, seven cohorts of Indigenous faculty have participated, rotating between Oregon and Hawai‘i. Findings: Of 102 participants, 53 (52%) revealed their faculty rank, the majority of whom were assistant professors or instructors. The overall response rate to assessments was 69.7%, and the component rated highest among participants was Cultural and Indigenous connections, which involved Indigenous self-awareness and identity sharing. Well-being, skill-building toward promotion, and ongoing mentorship and career planning to mitigate isolation and tokenism had highly valued components. Conclusion: The IFF has been well-received by Indigenous members of medical school communities, and participants especially valued the Cultural and Indigenous connections that were fostered, the skills learned to mitigate burnout, and planning for their academic advancement. More work is needed to understand the long-term impacts of IFF for participants and how IFF can aid with the goals of retention and advancement of Indigenous faculty at U.S. medical schools.

Source: International Journal of Indigenous Health

DOI: 10.32799/ijih.v21i2.46818