Faculty Development in OB-GYN Ultrasound and Technology Tools to Achieve Academic Success

Sanja Kupesic-Plavsic¹

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Office of Faculty Development, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA

Corresponding Author: Sanja Kupesic-Plavsic, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, 5001 El Paso Drive, MSC 21007, El Paso, Texas, USA, Phone: +1-915-215-5065, e-mail: sanja.kupesic@ttuhsc.edu

How to cite this article: Kupesic-Plavsic S. Faculty Development in OB-GYN Ultrasound and Technology Tools to Achieve Academic Success. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2021;15(4):330–330.Source of support: NilConflict of interest: None

Source of support: Nil

Conflict of interest: None

Soon we will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ian Donald Inter-University School of Ultrasound. We are fortunate to continue the voyage which was started in 1982 by a multidisciplinary group of enthusiasts. Today our school has almost 130 active international branches in 75 countries worldwide. They aim to address the specific educational and training needs of clinicians performing OB-GYN ultrasound and organize courses, workshops, congresses, and national conferences according to the character of the respective country, region, and/or area.

Universities, medical schools, academic institutions, and ultrasound experts running national enterprises use different approaches to contribute to the Donald School mission. While some branches are active in organizing conferences and training activities, other members are dedicated to research and scholarly projects related to ultrasound technology implementation. The Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (PLFSOM) team at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) El Paso, Texas, USA, focuses on the improvement of the teaching standards encompassing the science and art of OB-GYN ultrasound scanning across the spectrum of medical education.

The collaboration between the two institutions started 13 years ago when the Donald School invited our education team to publish a special issue dedicated to the use of ultrasound in the pre-clerkship curriculum, focusing on the integration of biomedical and clinical sciences. Our faculty wrote 17 articles illustrating how the PLFSOM was integrating medical imaging into the innovative clinical presentation-based curriculum. Seven years ago, the Office of Faculty Development had the pleasure of editing another special issue of the Donald Journal on professional development practices, education, and mentoring. At that time, our faculty contributed 15 articles that illuminated the trends, values, and priorities in OB-GYN ultrasound education for learners at all levels, from sonographers, medical students, residents to fellows, and lifelong learners.

My guest co-editor, Dr Zuber D. Mulla, Assistant Dean for Faculty Development, and I are thankful to the Donald School leadership for inviting us to edit the Donald School Journal special issue during these unprecedented COVID-19 postpandemic times. We decided to dedicate this issue to faculty development and technology tools assisting clinical faculty performing OB-GYN ultrasound in transition to online instruction and telemedicine to achieve academic success.

Our article on global health program success presents the outcomes of academic collaboration between the two institutions, the PLFSOM and the Donald School of Ultrasound. From very beginning, our collaboration was supported by the institutional faculty development and mentoring programs. The article on turning clinical, administrative work, and education into scholarship provides some ideas on alternative venues for the creation and dissemination of the scholarly work. The most frequently used statistical models for women’s health research and ultrasound-related studies to assist clinicians with their research and scholarship are explained in the paper by my co-editor, Dr. Mulla.

Experts from the Department of Medical Education, Training and Educational Center for Healthcare Simulation (TECHS) and OB-GYN residency program outlined the best practices for integrating OB-GYN ultrasound and ultrasound simulation in medical education and residency curricula.

Our clinical leadership team led by Dr Catinella illustrate the best practices of leading virtual ultrasound teams. De la Mora presents the advantages and challenges of telehealth visits for clinical service, education, and scholarship related to OB-GYN ultrasound. Drs Rafael and Chervenak from the Northwell University elaborate on the most common reasons for litigations related to OB-GYN ultrasound scanning. Dr Herber-Valdez discusses burnout, personal well-being, and job satisfaction among OB-GYNs and radiologists before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally, we include original, nicely illustrated scientific contributions from our colleagues from Japan, India, and Nigeria, documenting the success of our global health program.

I hope you will find our special issue on Faculty Development in OB-GYN Ultrasound, and Technology Tools to Achieve Academic Success useful, motivating, and fun. Enjoy your reading!

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