Medical faculty development: Perceptions about teachers' characteristics

Abstract

Objectives This study explored the attributes of an effective medical teacher as determined by faculty members. The faculty's perspectives about whether teaching qualities correspond to faculty members' years of experience were also studied. Methods A quantitative survey was performed by using a pretested online self-administered questionnaire that was distributed to the medical faculty of the College of Medicine Qassim University. The questionnaire probed the faculty members' opinions about the qualities and attributes of good medical teachers. Results Seventy-five per cent of faculty members responded. The most important attributes according to the faculty were good communication skills, honesty, and organized presentations. In contrast, telling jokes, sharing personal narratives, and being non-judgemental were the least-valued attributes. Experienced teachers with more than 10 years of experience attached more value to a greater array of qualities than their junior colleagues. Conclusion Faculty development programmes at medical schools should focus on improving the attributes of effective teachers identified by teachers themselves and their students. Future studies could identify more significant attributes in greater depth and detail.