Boston University School of Medicine received a $250,000 grant from the American Council of Education and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Tuesday for its work in career flexibility for academic physicians.
The grant will facilitate more mentoring programs within BUSM, according to a press release. These policies and programs will cultivate a professional and personal balance for faculty. The mentoring would avoid career “burnout” while helping faculty seek advancement.
“We are committed to the quality of academic life at Boston University School of Medicine and to faculty development,” said Karen Antman, BUMC provost, in the release. “This grant will support pilot programs that can be more broadly adopted, if found effective.”
Beyond the mentoring program, grant funds will create a midcareer faculty development program to encourage career advancement and online database of mentors to encourage communication between peers and mentors, according to the release.
“By attracting and retaining the best of the best, these winning medical schools are able to put themselves on a path toward excellence,” said Kathleen Christensen, program director of the Sloan Foundation in the release. “They do this through targeted efforts to address the unique work/life challenges faced by faculty. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is proud to partner with ACE to honor these winners and is deeply appreciative of ACE’s leadership on these issues.”
The University of Massachusetts Medical School, the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Stanford University School of Medicine, the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the State University of New York Upstate Medical University also received the grant.
The grant was presented Tuesday by ACE’s Board of Directors in Washington.
“Medical schools face unique challenges in not just finding, but keeping, highly specialized faculty,” said ACE Senior Advisor and Project Director Claire Van Ummersen in the release. “The awardees have addressed this issue head-on. They should serve as examples not just for other medical schools, but for any institution facing a crisis in retaining a highly trained workforce.”
CORRECTION: Dr. Karen Antman is Boston University Medical Campus provost, not provost of BU School of Medicine.
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