Exploring faculty development initiatives in medical education in resource-limited settings: perspectives and challenges.

backgroundFaculty Development Programs (FDPs) are integral to institutional priorities to support staff members in leveraging the skills necessary to deliver quality education and enhance the overall learning experience. Little is known about their impact in resource-limited settings. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of medical and health faculty members in Sudan toward FDPs by exploring their views on their performance, the learning environment, and the challenges hindering program implementation.

methodA descriptive, cross-sectional survey consisting of twenty-six items was used to collect data from faculty members to assess their perceptions of the FDPs.

resultThere was a 77% response rate (n = 103) to the survey from the targeted sample size of 134. Most of the staff members (90.3%, n = 93) perceive FDP activities as beneficial for enhancing their teaching abilities, while 70.9% (n = 73) see improvement in research practices, and 54.4% (n = 56) observe benefits to their clinical skills. Fewer respondents (46.6%, n = 48) reported improvements in their scientific publications. However, several challenges were identified, with time constraints perceived as a major obstacle to effective program implementation.

conclusionIn a resource-limited setting, evaluating the program's effectiveness plays a pivotal role in improving its activities. Providing additional resources, enhancing institutional support, and improving accessibility to activities can strengthen the program's success, ultimately benefiting both staff and students. These insights may offer valuable guidance for institutions facing similar constraints.