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CFD researchers published a new article examining how anti-oppression-focused faculty development programs are designed, implemented, and sustained in health professions education. Using five North American programs as cases, the research explores how faculty developers navigate tensions between institutional priorities, pedagogical commitments, and broader efforts toward cultural change.
Across programs, the authors identified three shared goals: shifting culture, challenging oppressive structures, and encouraging open dialogue Each goal, however, surfaced important tensions:
- Shifting culture required balancing discomfort as a catalyst for growth with the need for psychological safety,and engaging resistant participants while sustaining those already invested.
- Challenging oppressive structures exposed conflicts between institutional priorities and programmatic integrity, reliance on marginalized facilitators, and the constraints of operating within systems shaped by oppression.
- Encouraging open dialogue involved addressing hierarchical norms, supporting psychological safety, and sustaining relational learning within time and resource limitations.
The authors argue that meaningful, sustainable change requires grounding development work in shared values, anticipating institutional pressures, and navigating competing demands with intention. These findigs offer practical insights for educators, faculty developers, and academic leaders committed to anti-oppressive transformation in health professions education.
The article is available on: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2025.2586656
Reference: Wu, Q., Fisher, A., Onyura, B., Mullins, H., Baker, L., & Sharma, M. (2025). Equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-oppression focused faculty development: Tensions in programming in health professions education. Medical Teacher, 1–10.
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