Cole Rebekah
Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Department of Health Professions Education, Uniformed Services Unversity of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Med Educ Online. 2025 Dec;30(1):2546869. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2025.2546869. Epub 2025 Aug 12.
Medical educators are increasingly expected to engage in impactful scholarship. However, many struggle to progress beyond isolated studies toward developing cohesive, sustainable programs of research that establish scholarly identity and contribute meaningfully to the field. Although literature exists on faculty development and individual research projects, comprehensive guidance for building a unified research trajectory in medical education remains limited. This narrative review aimed to identify and synthesize recommendations from the professional literature on developing a program of research in medical education. Searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science for English-language publications from January 2005 to April 2024 used terms such as 'medical education,' 'program of research,' and 'research productivity.' Twenty-five articles meeting inclusion criteria - including empirical studies, reviews, and perspectives offering practical guidance - were reviewed and analyzed thematically. Eight key strategies emerged for building a research program: (1) defining a focused program of research around core questions; (2) aligning research with institutional priorities to leverage support and resources; (3) grounding inquiries in theoretical and conceptual frameworks to enhance rigor; (4) transitioning from isolated studies to a cohesive research agenda; (5) identifying and securing resources, including mentorship and funding; (6) disseminating work strategically to maximize impact; (7) cultivating mentorship and collaborative networks; and (8) sustaining momentum while mitigating burnout risks. Despite these insights, significant gaps remain, including the lack of empirically tested frameworks specific to building programs of research in medical education and limited understanding of how these strategies apply across diverse institutional or cultural contexts. Developing a program of research in medical education requires deliberate focus, strategic alignment, and collaborative engagement. The synthesized recommendations offer practical pathways for educators aiming to enhance scholarly identity and productivity. Future research should explore the implementation and effectiveness of these strategies across varied settings to advance faculty development and the field's scholarly impact.
医学教育工作者越来越被期望从事有影响力的学术研究。然而，许多人难以从孤立的研究进一步发展，形成连贯、可持续的研究项目，以确立学术身份并为该领域做出有意义的贡献。尽管有关于教师发展和个人研究项目的文献，但关于在医学教育中构建统一研究轨迹的全面指导仍然有限。本叙述性综述旨在识别和综合专业文献中关于开展医学教育研究项目的建议。通过在PubMed、MEDLINE和Web of Science中检索2005年1月至2024年4月的英文出版物，使用了“医学教育”“研究项目”和“研究生产力”等术语。对25篇符合纳入标准的文章进行了审查和主题分析，这些文章包括实证研究、综述以及提供实践指导的观点文章。出现了八个构建研究项目的关键策略：（1）围绕核心问题定义一个重点明确的研究项目；（2）使研究与机构优先事项保持一致，以利用支持和资源；（3）将探究建立在理论和概念框架基础上，以提高严谨性；（4）从孤立的研究过渡到连贯的研究议程；（5）识别并确保资源，包括指导和资金；（6）战略性地传播研究成果，以最大化影响；（7）培养指导关系和合作网络；（8）保持动力，同时降低倦怠风险。尽管有这些见解，但仍存在重大差距，包括缺乏针对医学教育研究项目构建的经过实证检验的框架，以及对这些策略如何适用于不同机构或文化背景的理解有限。开展医学教育研究项目需要深思熟虑的重点、战略一致性和合作参与。综合建议为旨在增强学术身份和生产力的教育工作者提供了实用途径。未来的研究应探索这些策略在不同环境中的实施和有效性，以促进教师发展和该领域的学术影响。
