Upcoming SOM Faculty Development Sessions
The School of Medicine and the Department of Advanced Medical Education have collaborated again this year to develop the 2026 School of Medicine (SOM) Annual Faculty Development Series. This series provides one-hour sessions throughout the year on topics that aim to enhance teaching and learning and the academic environment. The virtual sessions are held at noon and highlight the expertise and research of SOM faculty as well as faculty from other institutions.
Links for these sessions are shared on the SOM listserv. Contact Robyn Herring to be added to the listserv for this and other medical education related announcements.
Foundations of Educational Scholarship
Thursday, July 9 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Presented by Dr. Laura Weingartner
Medical educators are embracing opportunities to expand the field of scholarship on teaching and learning. These efforts include disseminating advances from research on teaching and learning through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and grantsmanship. Educational scholarship also includes the development of curriculum and innovative approaches to instruction. This session outlines ways to mine and expand current educational activities to build scholarship.
High Reliability Principles in Healthcare
Thursday, July 16 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Presented by Dr. Lisa Didion
Health professions education lays the foundation for patient safety and quality improvement by shaping how faculty teach, model, and assess safe care. This faculty development session reviews why patient safety matters in clinical learning environments, introduces core principles of high reliability in healthcare, and connects these concepts to UMMC’s quality and safety strategy. Participants will leave with a clearer framework for integrating safety expectations into day-to-day teaching, supervision, and team-based care.
Design Methods and Tools to Assess Educational Effectiveness
Thursday, July 23 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Presented by Dr. Loretta Jackson
Turn course and clerkship data into decisions. This session walks through blueprinting, validity evidence for assessments, program-evaluation models (Kirkpatrick/CIPP), and practical analytics (item analysis, dashboards) to “close the loop” for continuous quality improvement.
Professionalism in Medical Education Curriculum: Teaching and Assessment
Thursday, July 30 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Presented by Dr. Kimberly Bibb
Professionalism is a core competency in medical education that is taught and assessed in the medical education curriculum. This session outlines the University of Mississippi School of Medicine's conceptualization of professionalism, where it exists in the curriculum, and how teaching, supervising, and assessing faculty contribute to students' professional development.