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Office of Faculty Development | Overview

The Office of Faculty Development’s logo reflects the four components of the Boston Children’s Hospital’s mission and the juggling of clinical, teaching, research, and work/life balance.

Mission statement

The Office of Faculty Development (OFD) is dedicated to facilitating the career advancement and satisfaction of Boston Children's Hospital faculty, fostering careers particularly of early-stage faculty, and increasing leadership opportunities for women and faculty underrepresented in medicine (UiM). 

OFD Resources

The Office of Faculty Development’s Mentoring Guidebooks, Guidelines for Junior Faculty, and Guidelines for Mentors have been updated for 2022-23 and are now available with other materials on our Community of Mentors webpage and below.

The Office of Faculty Development is on Twitter! Look for announcements, links, updates, reminders, and reflections at https://twitter.com/BCHFacultyDev

Office of Faculty Development recognition

The OFD is recognized nationally and internationally for contributions to faculty development, career resources, promotion, work life balance, and funded research fellowships.

Funded in 2001 by Boston Children’s Hospital, the OFD summarized the critical components of a hospital-based office in the February 2008 Pediatrics article (first author, S. Jean Emans, MD): Creating a Faculty Development Office in an Academic Pediatric Hospital: Challenges and Successes.

The Office of Faculty Development received the 2017 Program Award for a Culture of Excellence in Mentoring (PACEM) from the HMS Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership.

The PACEM was established to recognize efforts to foster innovation and sustainability in mentoring. The OFD was recognized for its Developmental Networks initiative, based on the work of Kathy Kram, PhD (Boston University Questrom School of Business). For more information on Developmental Networks, visit the Community of Mentors page.

Dr. Emans has been recognized by HMS with two awards: the 2009 William Silen Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award and the 2020 Diversity Lifetime Achievement Award.

Orientation for new faculty

Please note that we now have a Dropbox with orientation resources that you can download and print. Items include mentoring booklets (both for mentors and for junior faculty). Overview of Faculty Development Resources booklet, Office of Clinician Support brochure, and other informational items.

Our Dropbox also includes the 7/19/2022 Orientation for New Faculty Video Recording.

Winter-Spring 2023 events - please check for updates

To register for any event, email: ofd@childrens.harvard.edu

Preparing an NIH Budget
Tuesday, February 14, noon to 1 p.m
Speaker: Theresa Applegate, MPA, Senior Director, Office of Sponsored Programs

This workshop is intended for Boston Children’s Hospital junior faculty, fellows, and support staff who are new to submitting grants and /or who want to learn more about procedures and resources at BCH. This workshop will explore pre-award resources, NIH and Foundation forms and guidelines, personnel and equipment allotments, justifications, and the submission process. This will be an interactive presentation and attendees are encouraged to bring their specific budget questions.

Zoom meeting information: https://bostonchildrens.zoom.us/j/99295700564?pwd=S3RhVDRGa3lXTXRCcHFCNCt1Z010Zz09
Password: 962396

BCH Faculty Peer Support Group 
Friday, March 10, noon to 1 p.m
Facilitated by: Sara Forman, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Marisa Brett-Fleegler, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Maxine Milstein, MBA, Program Director, Office of Faculty Development

The BCH Faculty Peer Support Group meetings offer a safe, comfortable environment to share challenges and solutions in areas of career, family and personal development. Participants are a mix of various specialties, different career stages, and differing career focus. This allows faculty to meet others from different divisions and departments within the hospital and to discuss ways to have successful balance in their life’s journey. Please let Maxine Milstein if you have any topics for discussion.

Zoom meeting information: https://bostonchildrens.zoom.us/j/97613569304?pwd=OXRkbFlGS0puRXdyMmcwaDlyVkFrdz09
Password: 906360

Conflict Resolution
Tuesday, March 14, noon to 1 p.m
Speaker: Melissa  Brodrick, Director, HMS Ombuds Office

This interactive workshop will examine what you bring to conflict situations that may help or hinder you, some skills for handling conflicts when they arise and strategies to effectively prepare for and engage in conflict conversations in the future.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Zoom meeting information: https://bostonchildrens.zoom.us/j/96696709538?pwd=N3NxaCtFNlZMakhTSGNISnhacXVlQT09
Password: 985860

Women in Science Symposium
Monday, April 3, 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Women in Science Symposium (hybrid)
Followed by an optional Networking lunch in Karp Atria 8 and 10 at 12:30 PM
Co-sponsored with the HMS Office for Clinical and Academic Affairs
Speakers: Brielle Ferguson, PhD; Ya-Chieh Hsu, PhD; Caroline Palavicino-Maggio, PhD; Shannon Scott-Vernaglia, MD; Valerie Stone, MD, MPH
Registration required to attend In person at HMS Armenise Amphitheater or virtually
Register here!

Creating Resilience via Your Outside Interests (and perhaps revitalizing your career too)
Tuesday, April 25, 12 -1 p.m., via Zoom (link below)
To register, email ofd@childrens.harvard.edu

Do you engage with an activity that provides joy and revives your spirit? In this workshop, our panelists discuss how their leisure activities have led to increased well-being; occasionally, these interests can circle back to an enhanced professional identity. Workshop attendees are welcome to email any related topics or questions in advance of the session so our panelists can address them.

Moderator: Hans Oettgen, MD, PhD, OFD Director and Professor of Pediatrics (outside interest: bird photography)
Panelists: Eman Ansari, MD – interest in literature/reading has led to the formation of the BCH-wide “Emergency Division Book Club” with virtual meetings and guest authors, Alan Leichtner, MD, MSHPEd -  created an aquarium at his home and has enjoyed bonding with his grandchild, introducing her to scientific investigation, and the general respite that the watery world offers, Elissa Weitzman, ScD – absorption with textiles and working with her hands has opened reflection and provided stress relief.  She is also the founder of the BCH group “Making Science in Fiber Arts” and links to a community of textile artisans, and Elizabeth Gaufberg, MD, MPH – love of art has led to her to develop museum-based medical education initiatives, including co-founding the Harvard Macy Institute Art Museum-based Health Professions Education Fellowship

Zoom meeting information: https://bostonchildrens.zoom.us/j/94331726099?pwd=ZHhWa1lGRnlubk80WGlUTHlqeTRudz09
Password: 989969

Writing for Scientific Publication
Thursday,  May 11, 12 – 1 p.m., via Zoom
Speakers: Lydia Shrier, MD, MPH, and Amy Shafrir, ScD

This seminar will cover the steps to successful publication and provide tips in overcoming problems, such as how to get started, criteria for authorship, writer's block, style choices, as well as ethical issues. The primary focus will be on authorship of clinical research papers although the principles are also applicable for basic science papers

Getting Your Clinical Research Funded
Tuesday, May 16, 12 to 1 p.m.
Speaker: Isaac Kohane, MD,  PhD, Marion V. Nelson Professor of Biomedical Informatics

This workshop is designed to present strategies, tips, and practical guidance for fellows and junior faculty to obtain funding for clinical research.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Zoom meeting information: https://bostonchildrens.zoom.us/j/99649379090?pwd=bE5KZ0FCVEdzRnpiSlRoeVpLVHJ6UT09
Password: 522992

How to have a Productive Annual Career Conference
Tuesday, May 23, 12 to 1 p.m., via Zoom
Speakers: Margaret Kenna, MD, MPH, Professor of Otolaryngology; Alan Leichtner, MD, MSHPEd, Professor of Pediatrics and Chief Education Officer
Moderator: Hans Oettgen, MD, PhD,  and Director, OFD

This workshop will introduce you to the OFD Career Conference Form, how you can prepare responses/questions in advance of the meeting, and tips for interacting with your chair/mentor. 

Boston Children’s Hospital joins New England HERC (Higher Education Recruitment Consortium)

HERC provides a free job-seeking database for faculty, staff, and medical positions from a consortium of New England educational and medical institutions. It is a family-friendly tool as dual-career couples may enter their profiles to find matching positions, conduct searches on relocation resources, and explore schools for children. For further information, visit HERC’s website.