Faculty Factory

Faculty Factory
  • 4.8 (21)
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The Faculty Factory is a community of faculty development leaders in academic health systems. We share a passion for serving faculty and helping them exceed their clinical, research, education, program-building, administrative, and leadership expectations. The Faculty Factory Podcast emerged from a desire to communicate faculty-development-specific information in a consistent, modern, practical, and intimate way. To learn more, visit: FacultyFactory.org.

  1. 1d ago

    Why Hard Work and Wellness Are Not at Odds in Academia with Jennifer Bickel, MD

    “Hustle culture” is ingrained in so many of us in this field, and as our guest on the Faculty Factory Podcast this week, Jennifer Bickel, MD, argues, the busiest among us need to slow down and find time for wellness the most. Dr. Bickel is a neurologist, and in 2024, she joined the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston as vice president and chief wellness officer. "Along the way, when did we start thinking that fun was not professional?" Dr. Bickel ponders, arguing that injecting fun is crucial to our work. Wellness used to be looked at as a nice-to-have, not a mission-critical aspect of academic health, but those days are over. Not feeling valued is a leading cause of burnout, and how/why to show more appreciation for each other is a crucial aspect of this interview. The effects of chronic stress on the brain make us see an impending change as more of a threat than as an opportunity. It also leads us to show up with cynicism rather than empathy (not ideal for any line of work, especially one that includes clinical care). By staying super busy all the time and not getting sufficient breaks, we are much more likely to make mistakes. It's crucial to breathe, take a step back, and reflect regularly, because when you attempt to grind your way through everything, you actually don't have the time to keep the status quo. Companion resources from this interview: Center for Brain Health: https://centerforbrainhealth.org/ Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science: https://caws.dukehealth.org/meet-the-director/

  2. Sep 11

    Managing the Pitfalls of AI, Technology, and Social Media

    In this "Best of" Faculty Factory Podcast episode, we're revisiting conversations with three incredible past guests to bring you a compilation broadcast exploring some of the most common hazards associated with social media, technology, and AI large language model (LLM) usage. These technologies can work wonders, but there are certain pitfalls to be on heightened alert for in academic medicine, and we discuss several of those in this episode. Conversations featured in this compilation include clips from the following episodes: Episode 139 – Social Media Habits and Hacks with Sapna Kudchadkar, MD, PhD Episode 389 – Examining the Ethical Obligations of Generative AI with Lacey W. Heinsberg, PhD, RN Episode 392 – Identity Formation Beyond the Job Title in Academic Health with Angela Sharkey, MD First up, we look at ethical social media use and the common mistakes to be aware of with Sapna Kudchadkar, MD, PhD. That's followed by a check-in with Lacey W. Heinsberg, PhD, RN. Dr. Heinsberg talks about LLMs impacting critical thinking and how they can get things very wrong, requiring careful, responsible use of these tools. We wrap up with Angela Sharkey, MD, who discusses cell phone addiction and how the Healthy Minds Podcast, which she discovered while walking her dog, helped her gain an intentional focus on being present in the moment and break free from the poor cell phone habits so many of us endure.

  3. Sep 4

    Owning Your  “Main Character Energy” with Heather Brod

    Heather Brod is back on the Faculty Factory Podcast this week for a look at finding and owning your own "Main Character Energy," a concept borrowed from internet culture that has very real implications when taken to heart by faculty. "What I've learned is that main character energy, at its core, is about agency. It's about how you are writing the script of your own life and not being a supporting character in your own life story," Heather said. Heather is a prolific executive coach and consultant. Prior to branching off on her own to go into coaching full time, Heather was Executive Director at the Center for Faculty Advancement Mentoring and Engagement with the Ohio State University's College of Medicine in Columbus. Heather digs into why so many faculty members struggle to answer a deceptively simple question: what do you want? Working through this concept of main character energy with them is about identifying their values, their non-negotiables, and the type of impact they actually want to make throughout their career.  For more information about Heather and her work, please visit the website of Heather Brod. Along with the voice of the Faculty Factory Podcast, Kimberly A. Skarupski, PhD, MPH, Heather is the co-author of The Insider's Pocket Guide to Navigating a Faculty Career in Academic Medicine, which was published in 2024 by Springer Publishing Company. The book aims to outline a pathway to achieving a rewarding and prosperous career in academic medicine.

  4. Aug 28

    Coaching That Pushes Graduate Medical Education Forward with Kathryn Burtson, MD, MHPE, FACP

    Kathryn Burtson, MD, MHPE, FACP, is our guest on the Faculty Factory Podcast this week for a look into academic coaching and individualized learning plans, part of a broader effort to move graduate medical education forward. Dr. Burtson is a first-time guest on our show and a colonel in the United States Air Force Medical Corps. She is Director of Medical Education at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Associate Professor of Medicine at Wright State and Uniformed Services Universities, and Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs at the Wright State Department of Medicine. Here are the links to her articles mentioned at the start of this podcast: Academic Coaching to Enhance In-Training Examination Performance in Internal Medicine Residency - PubMed Academic Coaching to Promote Self-Directed Learning in Graduate Medical Education - PubMed Empowering Learning: Self-Directed Strategies of Internal Medicine Residents in an Academic Coaching Program - PubMed The House Cup: Using Longitudinal Gamification to Improve Didactic Attendance - PubMed

  5. Aug 21

    Time Management Tactics: Prioritization and List-Making Strategies for Faculty

    Since our Faculty Factory podcast's launch in 2019, we have had the honor of interviewing some of the world's most impressive people, with a constant recurring theme being that these folks know how to safeguard their time. In this Faculty Factory best-of compilation episode, we're diving into some quick-hitting time management tips packed into a quick 15-minute broadcast with some of the most powerful mic-drop segments in this show's 7+ year history. Three-time management experts in academic health are featured this week, with clips from the following episodes: Episode 63: Time Management and Efficiency with David M. Yousem, MD, MBA Episode 68: Using Time Productively with Donna L. Vogel, MD, PhD Episode 119: Habits and Hacks with Shameema Sikder, MD Themes covered throughout include goal setting, prioritizing, list-making, saying no, and how to face the items on your list that you dread most (or simply eliminate them if that’s an option). "Time is ultimately our most precious commodity, so if you are saying yes to certain projects, it eventually means you will be saying no to something else," said Dr. Sikder. Drs. Yousem and Vogel discuss the importance of prioritization, particularly in the context of Stephen Covey's (author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) Time Management Matrix, which is mentioned in-depth in both Dr. Yousem's and Dr. Vogel's clips.

  6. Aug 14

    Identity Formation Beyond the Job Title in Academic Health with Angela Sharkey, MD

    In the final stretch before retirement, the anxiety about an impending change in identity can be palpable, but Angela Sharkey, MD, has a lot of encouragement for folks who are struck with those feelings as they approach the closing years of a career in academic health. She joins the Faculty Factory Podcast this week for her third appearance and a triumphant return to our show. Dr. Sharkey is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She had a multidecade career in academic medicine featuring patient care, health professions education, and clinical research. She has held leadership roles at four different academic institutions. She retired in 2025 and continues to present at a national level on strategic career planning, conflict management, and other critical faculty development topics. Dr. Sharkey began to think about stepping away from her career in a full-time capacity and immediately reflected on how it would impact her “identity.” When we introduce ourselves in social situations, we tend to say our name, title, and institution, and when we retire, we take a step away from that identity. As an accomplished thought leader in career planning, Dr. Sharkey approached retirement through the lens of how she teaches others to make strategic career decisions. "With retirement, I thought I should be advising myself about the strategy of planning for retirement around my purpose, my passion and my people, to best move forward into this really exciting time," she said.

  7. Aug 7

    The Halo Effect and the Leadership Lessons Formal Surgical Training Leaves Out with Daniel S. Eiferman, MD, MBA, FACS

    Daniel S. Eiferman, MD, MBA, FACS, Professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University in Columbus, joins us to discuss his new book, “Cut Open: A Surgeon's Stories of Loss, Resilience, and Growth,” and to explore some of the most important leadership skills in medicine you won't learn in formal training, this week on the Faculty Factory Podcast. Learn about the book: https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Open-Surgeons-Stories-Resilience-ebook/dp/B0GGZFD4HT  Dr. Eiferman shares the leadership skills medical training often leaves out: How to lead a team Navigating difficult conversations Building trust with patients and colleagues

  8. Jul 31

    The Small Behaviors That Make or Break Academic Leaders with Daniel Shapiro, PhD

    Daniel Shapiro, PhD, returns to the Faculty Factory Podcast this week for a conversation on what really separates thriving academic leaders from those who quietly wash out of their roles. Today's interview is based on a talk Dr. Shapiro recently gave for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM), titled "Chutes and Ladders." After conducting hundreds of 360 evaluations for chairs, institute directors, and deans, and watching what happened to those leaders afterward, Dr. Shapiro started noticing patterns that rarely come up in typical leadership conversations. He breaks these behaviors into three tiers: Foundational behaviors Mid-level skills Advanced skills Dr. Shapiro currently serves as Senior Partner in Performance Transformation and leads the Chartis Center for Burnout Solutions, where he and his team assist leaders of multi-hospital systems with efforts to reduce burnout and the turnover of high-value people. He previously served as the Vice Dean for Faculty and Administrative Affairs at the Penn State College of Medicine (Hershey). Dr. Shapiro first joined us in February 2019. At the time it was the first ever interview released on this podcast and our second episode overall. It focused on factors that influence the productivity, success, happiness, and overall well-being of faculty. He returned in 2022 for an in-depth chat about data's role in advancing the careers of faculty. You can learn more about both those episodes: Episode 169 – A Faculty Factory Reunion with Daniel Shapiro, MS, PhD Episode 2 – A Faculty Factory Interview with Daniel Shapiro, MS, PhD You can get in contact with Dr. Shapiro via email: dshapiro@chartis.com and he is available to follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdanshaps/.

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About

The Faculty Factory is a community of faculty development leaders in academic health systems. We share a passion for serving faculty and helping them exceed their clinical, research, education, program-building, administrative, and leadership expectations. The Faculty Factory Podcast emerged from a desire to communicate faculty-development-specific information in a consistent, modern, practical, and intimate way. To learn more, visit: FacultyFactory.org.

Information

  • Creator
    Faculty Factory
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    399
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Faculty Factory

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