Satisfaction is higher with in-person graduate medical education faculty development boot camps

Abstract Background Graduate Medical Education increasingly emphasizes competency-based education, requiring faculty proficiency in teaching and assessment. However, many faculty report limited formal educational training and face barriers to professional development participation. Methods We implemented biannual, full-day in-person faculty development boot camps across four institutions serving eleven GME programs. Each boot camp featured eight concurrent interactive workshops (60–90 min) covering topics including academic coaching, simulation debriefing, and assessment strategies. We surveyed faculty satisfaction with six development modalities, asking participants to rank-order the modalities from most to least satisfying. Data were analyzed using Friedman and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests. Results Participation increased significantly from 60 faculty (400.25 CME hours) in 2024 to 94 faculty (534.5 CME hours) in 2025 (χ² = 9.43, p = .002). Among 28 survey respondents, boot camps received the highest satisfaction ratings (mean rank = 2.79) compared to other modalities (χ² = 20.14, p = .001). Boot camps were rated significantly higher than university-sponsored online workshops (Z = -3.23, p = .001) and professional membership online workshops (Z = -2.25, p = .024). Discussion Biannual faculty development boot camps significantly improved participation and satisfaction compared to online formats. This scalable intervention aligns with Situated Learning Theory principles and represents an effective approach to enhancing faculty development in GME settings.