Successful implementation of Medical Education Faculty Development Project at Saint George University of Beirut in the immediate post triple blow to Beirut

Background: The aim of this study is to explore the efficacy of the Faculty Development Program (FDP) implemented at the Saint George University of Beirut-Faculty of Medicine (SGUB FM) under exceptional circumstances as the triple blow to Beirut. Methods: The Faculty Development, directed towards a cohort of 35 faculty members, is composed of two major components: methodology of teaching and techniques of assessment. The Kirkpatrick’s assessment model, in combination with a specifically designed psychological questionnaire, were chosen to assess the effectiveness of the faculty development initiative. Results: Results of the different questionnaires were interpreted individually, then through the lens of the psychological questionnaire. A majority of faculty (55%) were significantly affected psychologically by Beirut’s triple blow and 77% of all participants found the workshops to be of excellent quality (Kirkpatrick’s Level I). Moreover, Kirkpatrick’s level II results yielded a 76% mean percentage of correct answers to post-workshops MCQs and a significant improvement in the mean results of the self-assessment questionnaires, administered before and after each workshop. Results also show that the more a trainee is psychologically affected, the less he/she performs as evidenced by a decrease in the satisfaction rate as well as in the score of the cognitive MCQs and of the self-assessment questionnaires. Conclusions: This study was able to highlight that significant learning can occur amidst exceptional circumstances like the Beirut triple blow and administration should invest in professional growth to retain its faculty.