Career Development

The Office of Faculty Affairs hosts as well as sponsors programs that support the professional development of the School of Medicine faculty members.

Faculty Leadership for Inclusion and Growth in Health by Transformation (FLIGHT)

UofL’s School of Medicine (SOM) created the FLIGHT program in efforts to increase diversity among our future faculty ranks. FLIGHT is a one yearlong development program that informs the cohort members of tools and skills needed to navigate and build a successful career in academic medicine. The curriculum includes monthly expert guests, connecting with a mentor, and unique tips on how to manage challenges based on ones’ social & intersectional identity. A new cohort is chosen each year and is made up of junior faculty members, residents, postdocs, and fellows from various backgrounds. The FLIGHT program is housed in the SOMs Office of Faculty Affairs. Please contact Dr. Chris Seals if you have questions. Note that the FLIGHT Program is open to all applicants in the School of Medicine regardless of race, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or age.

AAMC Programs

Each year the AAMC hosts Professional Development Seminars for both junior and senior women faculty members. In addition, a program for underrepresented minority faculty is presented as well as a session for Chairs and Deans. The School of Medicine sponsors faculty to attend these events. These seminars focus on the objectives, skills and knowledge areas related to academic and organizational leadership.

  • Early-Career Women Professional Development Seminar
  • Minority Faculty Development Seminar
  • Executive Development for Associate Deans & Department Chairs

Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning

Focused on the University's central mission of teaching and learning, the Delphi Center offers campus-wide activities designed to enhance teaching both inside and outside the classroom. Delphi gives support to faculty utilizing face-to-face and technology-based instruction; professional development seminars and certifications; online and distance-education classes; and degree programs, personal enrichment, and adult education classes. The Delphi Center is located in the Ekstrom Library; Kornhauser Library and Shelby Campus.

Leadership & Innovation in Academic Medicine (LIAM)

LIAM was created to serve early to mid-career faculty members interested in developing their leadership skills. The course is designed around 3 sequential themes of leading yourself, leading others, and leading the organization. The program is delivered in monthly 3-hour sessions and offline work that averages an additional 3 hours per week. The course begins every September and ends the following July.

Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women (ELAM)

Every other year, the School of Medicine supports a woman in applying for the ELAM program. Financial support is provided after acceptance. ELAM is the only in-depth national leadership program preparing women faculty for the highest administrative ranks at academic health centers. ELAM alumnae have achieved notable personal and professional advancement, attaining significant administrative promotions ranging from Chief to Dean. ELAM is endorsed by the American Association of American Colleges, the Association of Academic Health Centers, the American Council on Education, the American Dental Education Association, and the American Medical Women's Association.

Fulbright Scholar Grants

The traditional Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 U.S. faculty and professionals abroad each year. Grantees lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Early Career Awards- Offered to assistant professors and non-tenure track faculty, applicants typically are exempt from requirements prescribing a fixed number of years teaching experience. The total number of these awards is growing daily as additional country programs join to encourage the development of younger faculty For grantees' home institutions, Early Career Awards present exceptional opportunities to nuture young faculty, to help them to establish international reputations, to build global networks, and to add luster to their home institution's reputation.

Distinguished Chairs Program - Designed for faculty with substantial bodies of work, this program operates in Western and Central Europe, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Israel offering opportunities in a wide range of academic disciplines. The Chairs awards are considered among the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright program, furnishing the recipients with opportunities for teaching, or research, or both. Scholars are hosted by major overseas universities with opportunities for expanding their networks, discovering new avenues of investigation, and consulting with colleagues about their academic discipline and issues in higher education. Grantees regularly create ties between home and host institutions that encourage on-going projects and the exchange to students.

Health Professions Education

The Certificate in Health Professions Education (CHPE) is offered through a partnership between the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) and the School of Medicine. The program is designed for those involved in education, learning, and performance improvement in healthcare settings.

Medical Education and Evaluation Research Unit

The mission of the Office of Medical Education (OME) is to coordinate all initiatives and activities that support the undergraduate medical education program, including curriculum development, delivery and evaluation. OME staff assist the Educational Policy Committee in managing the medical curriculum and work closely with departments, course directors, and individual faculty to assure that the curriculum is properly sequenced and integrated. To achieve its mission, the OME also coordinates the activities of the Paris Simulation Center; the Standardized Patient Clinic; the Medical Education Research Unit; faculty development programs focused on teaching and learning, such as the Teaching in Healthcare Professions teaching certificate and the Grand Rounds for HSC Educators series; and academic technology initiatives, such as the PDA initiative and the Blackboard courseware tool.

Mentor Program

The School of Medicine is happy to announce our new Mentor Toolkit. All departments and focused centers have received the toolkit for use in mentoring junior faculty early on in their career, as well as mid-level faculty who may need/desire a mentor.  Departments and centers will decide how they would like to monitor the progress and success of the mentoring relationship(s) within their own unit.