The use of Q² engage model (EQ2) for educational scholarship in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS)

Dear Sir

Nowadays with the higher demand for more effective medical educators, developing a scholarship culture has become high on the priority lists of many universities. Medical faculties mostly focus on their clinical skills rather than teaching abilities. Although necessary, having good clinical skills is not sufficient for academic citizenship and certainly does not make a person scholar. For academic excellence, faculties must also acquire teaching abilities and scholar engagement. Therefore, measures must be taken to motivate them to put quality teaching on their agenda.

In SUMS, the EQ² has become a criterion for academic promotion.Through this model, the quality and quantity of the members’ educational activities as well as their engagement is evaluated in four categories which include: Teaching, Advising and mentoring, Curriculum development and Learner assessment (Simpson et al. 2007).

In each category, the members can get up to 5, 10 and 10 points respectively for quantity, quality and engagement. An educational Index will then be produced by summing up the scores achieved in all the categories (Maximum = 100). For academic citizenship 70 points per year is the minimum acceptable level. This index will then affect the income and reward system for faculties’ activities.

The quality is measured through the student or peer evaluations, curriculum presentations and the use of any new teaching methods. For this purpose a direct observation of faculty’s lecture or round may also be conducted.

The quantity is measured by the number of protégés one has or the frequency of courses and other educational activities. In short we investigate how much, how often and with whom the educational activities are conducted.

And last, the engagement is evaluated through their contribution to advancement of their filed as well as their attempt to remedy the global educational problems, whether it is: An original innovation (like introducing a more effective curriculum) or even service activities that are specifically tied to their field of expertise (such as serving in a committee or evaluating articles for journals). Presenting a work with exceptional values which would be recognized and rewarded globally would be defiantly the hall mark of educational engagement. The Educators seeking academic promotion must present evidence for all these categories.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.