Applicants are being sought for the new Wayne State Empowerment for Academicians in Medicine, or WE AIM, program, which focuses on empowering junior and mid‐ career level faculty of the Wayne State University School of Medicine and equipping them with the skills necessary for success within academic medicine.
This is the program’s inaugural year at Wayne State University.
A maximum of 10 individuals will be selected for the 2023 cohort and will be chosen by a selection committee based on a review of application materials. The course is complimentary to School of Medicine faculty.
The progam is open to all faculty at the rank of assistant and associate professor, especially those who are underrepresented in medicine.
The program will consist of seven sessions held Mondays from January through June. Sessions will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with breakfast served from 9 to 9:30 a.m., and a working lunch from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
Scheduled session topics include the culture of academic medicine and defining individual success, formulating a career development plan, communication and collaboration skills, improving teaching and presentation skills, preparing for promotion and tenure, grant development and administration, and strategies for successful professional writing.
Application requirements include:
A complete CV
An essay addressing professional goals, career trajectory, history and the top three to five challenges the applicant faces as an underrepresented minority faculty member in an academic medical center (limit: three single-space pages)
A statement that the applicant will attend the full course
A letter of recommendation and support from the applicant’s department chair or division chief
A statement that, if selected, the applicant agrees to remain in contact with program co‐directors through an annual interview and/or survey focused on participants’ professional growth and progress
The application deadline is Dec. 11. Send applications via e‐mail attachment to diversity@med.wayne.edu. Applicants will be notified no later than Dec. 19.
For additional information, contact Dena Nazer, M.D., FAAP, associate professor of Pediatrics, at dnazer@med.wayne.edu.
Most sessions will be led by Sana Loue, J.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., who created and developed the program. Dr. Loue is a professor of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She holds secondary appointments in Psychiatry and Global Health at the School of Medicine and in Social Work at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Dr. Loue served as Case Western Reserve School of Medicine’s inaugural vice dean for Faculty Development and Diversity, where she initiated Faculty Reaching for Academic Medical Excellence, a professional development program for underrepresented faculty.
Basim Dubaybo, M.D., vice dean of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development, will lead the session on preparing for promotion and tenure.
Dr. Loue will train School of Medicine faculty in how to lead the program in future years. Those faculty members, including Dr. Nazer, will tailor the program for the future specific needs of faculty.
“I am honored to be the faculty development leader for the WE AIM program,” said Dr. Nazer, leader of Women and Underrepresented in Medicine Faculty Development. “I am delighted to have Dr. Loue guide us through implementing the program and offering her expertise on how to personalize it for our specific needs at WSU. Our WE AIM Program aims to increase recruitment, retention and promotion of underrepresented faculty at the WSU School of Medicine. I hope this is the first of many years to come and hope this program will develop and evolve throughout the years to offer the utmost benefit and support for our faculty and position our school as one of the pioneer universities in this regard.”
The National Academy of Medicine (Institute of Medicine), Dr. Nazer noted, has advocated for institutional support to address the challenges that underrepresented faculty face in academic medicine. Underrepresented faculty in medicine are less likely to be promoted, less likely to hold senior faculty and administrative positions, and less likely to receive National Institutes of Health research awards. In addition, such faculty report lower career satisfaction and higher social isolation than faculty who are not underrepresented in medicine.