SOM Office of Faculty Affairs

2025 MedEd Faculty Fellow Application

Description
The VCU SOM Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development Medical Education Faculty Fellow (MEFF) program seeks to cultivate a community of medical education scholars and practitioners that engage with VCU SOM faculty and support the professional, instructional, and strategic needs of the School of Medicine. Fellows are full-time faculty members who are experts in basic science or clinical teaching and possess a deep understanding of medical education pedagogy.  Beyond their primary teaching expertise, they are strong advocates for their colleagues’ professional growth.  They provide workshops and guidance and serve as a crucial link between faculty and the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, ensuring faculty interests and needs are communicated and addressed.

Time Commitment
Approximately 10 hours of service per month between October 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.

Why participate?

• Develop your academic portfolio in the scholarship of teaching and learning while connecting research to practice and reflecting on your medical education expertise.
• Provide service to the University in the form of workshops, observations and consultations.
• Contribute your knowledge, skills, and abilities to help faculty develop in their teaching, leadership, and scholarship.
• Be rewarded to advance an innovation or scholarly project in medical education.

Expectations
The selected fellow will be expected to:

• Serve as a faculty liaison for the School of Medicine Dean’s Office, guiding strategic discussions on the ethical and responsible adoption of AI and ensuring accessibility for the entire medical community.
• Lead a pioneering AI project that enhances a key aspect of medical education, focusing on areas like personalized learning and diagnostic simulations.
• Design and lead three workshops to build foundational AI literacy for faculty and students emphasizing ethical, accessible, and intergenerational use within the medical community.
• Seek to disseminate scholarly work that demonstrate the project’s broader impact on research and scholarship.

MEFFs will also maintain a written reflective journal throughout the fellowship.

Learn more about former faculty fellows their experience and their projects!

• J. Brian Cassell, PhD (2023 and 2024)
• Kelly Harrell, PhD, MPT (2021 and 2022)
• Kellie Carlyle, PhD, MPH (2019 and 2020)

Application Process
To apply, please provide:

• A statement of interest (500 words max) that should:
  • Explain your interest in this fellowship and how it aligns with your career goals.
  • Describe your current understanding of AI and its potential applications in medical education.
  • Highlight any prior experience with AI, educational technology, or curriculum development.
  • Provide an outline of how you intend to maximize your work over the next 9 months (approximately 80 hours).
    
• A project proposal that includes:
  • Project Title: A concise and descriptive title.
  • Background and Rationale: Clearly articulate the problem or opportunity your project addresses within medical education and how AI can provide a novel solution. Provide a brief review of relevant literature.
  • Project Goals and Objectives: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and objectives for your project.
  • Methodology: Briefly describe the proposed approach, including a description of the AI tools or techniques to be utilized.
  • Target audience for the project (e.g., medical students, residents, faculty).
  • Timeline for key project milestones over the year.
  • Evaluation plan: How will you measure the success and impact of your project?
  • Expected Outcomes and Impact: Describe the anticipated deliverables and the potential impact of your project on medical education at our institution.
  • Resource Needs: Identify any specific resources (e.g., software, data access, technical support) required for your project.

• A list of at least two proposed workshops. Provide:
  • Ideas for at least two distinct workshops you could deliver to faculty and/or trainees on AI in medical education.
  • For each workshop, a working title and brief description of the content.  Learning objectives and timeline will eventually be needed from the selected fellow.
  • Three workshops presentations will be desired with one being repeated (One in the Fall ’25, Two in Spring ’26)
• CV
• Letter of support from department or program chair

Applications are due by September 24, 2025. Acceptance notification will be confirmed by September 29, 2025.

Categories New Hires