Understanding the dimensions of a strong-professional identity: a study of faculty developers in medical education

BACKGROUND: Faculty developers are regularly involved in training medical educators to enhance their teaching excellence through workshops and other formats. By exemplifying professional and institutional values, faculty developers may profoundly impact how other educators perceive their own professional identity. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to understand how the professional identity of faculty developers is formed. DESIGN: A qualitative approach was used, with a semi-structured interview. The sample consisted of 10 medical educators. A deductive thematic analysis based on Bolivar et al. (2004a) model of professional identity formation for medical educators was carried out. RESULTS: Self-image was impacted favorably through social recognition from students and peers, and the belief of having demonstrated professional competence through job assignments and enrollment in different leadership positions. The social relations to the center or department in which the faculty developer participates were strongly related to job satisfaction. Expectations about the future of the profession included positive attitudes toward change brought by generational differences. Regarding the process of construction of professional identity, life stories and dissimilar professional careers converge in the same educational setting. Faculty developers regularly resort to self-reflection, with a desire to continue learning and developing. They are resilient and purposeful, even in negative experiences that they have faced as identity crises. They share an awareness in building a legacy for the patients, their families, and the community through nurturing new generations of health-care practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: The interviewed faculty developers have a strong-professional identity that is characterized by a stable sense of self, strong behavioral repertoire, and key associations with a community of practice.