Previously, our recognition, award and evaluation processes operated independently across the medical education portfolio, resulting in low participation, limited nominations and visibility.
Enhanced data capabilities and improved evaluation pathways enabled us to leverage more robust information in support of our awards, recognition and evaluation framework. Through coordinated planning, we transformed our process by integrating data‑informed approaches, implementing automation, and adopting targeted communication strategies to increase participation, access and transparency.
In 2023, we launched an internal faculty recognition program to acknowledge sustained excellence and significant contributions to recognize the service and achievements of faculty and community partners who contribute their time, expertise, and resources to the program.
In 2024, following careful consultation and revision, we implemented a new streamlined process and updated requirements for the MD Program Teaching and Education Awards. Responding to feedback from departments on barriers to submitting nominations, our process has been simplified and streamlined. To increase equity of the award process, caps on the number of nominations that a given department can put forward have been removed. Further, the nomination process harnesses existing supporting materials lessening the burden on nominators to generate original content for awards purposes. The MD program also introduced an online nomination form, integrated equity, diversity, inclusion, indigeneity, and accessibility (EDIIA) into all award criteria, and introduced a teaching evaluation dashboard to identify high-performing instructors. Communications about award opportunities are now centralized as well as targeted presentations to leadership across Temerty Medicine. The Medical Education and Teaching Awards Database was also launched in 2025 to increase awareness of education-focused awards offered at the program, Faculty, University, national, and international levels.
At the Academy level, where much of our hands on teaching occurs, we undertook a thorough review of the Academy Awards to align opportunities and practices for recognizing exceptional teaching. This involved mapping existing awards to identify areas for alignment in opportunities, criteria and process, and meeting with Academy Directors to understand challenges related to the awards process. To support more effective and equitable processes – and ensure these awards serve as a pipeline to departmental, program and faculty awards – we developed new resources including:
- A template for Adjudication Committee Terms of Reference
- A template and Checklist for developing Awards Criteria, Nomination Requirements & Adjudication Forms
- A checklist for Reducing Bias in Adjudication
- An academy filter on teaching evaluation dashboard
- A communications workflow for promoting award recipients
- Draft terms for two new awards that would ensure each Academy recognizes teaching in the following categories: 1) foundations, 2) clerkship, 3) sustained excellence, and 4) resident teaching – so that staff have similar opportunities for recognition regardless of the Academy they are affiliated with.
Teaching Evaluation Response Rate: Previously, many teachers were unable to receive an individual teaching report because they did not meet the minimum threshold of n = 3 teacher evaluations required for reporting. This limited the data available to support recognition and promotion processes.
In 2022–23, the program introduced a minimum expectation for trainees to complete multiple Learning Assessments of Clinical Teacher forms during each rotation. The number varies by rotation length, but in most cases, trainees are expected to complete three evaluations. Automated reminders and professionalism expectations were also implemented to support completion.
Following this change, the number of completed teacher evaluations increased by approximately 300%, representing more than 10,000 additional evaluations annually and enabling reports to be generated for roughly 2,000 more teachers compared with 2021–22. Since 2023–24, response rates have remained consistently high, ensuring that more faculty have sufficient data to inform recognition, feedback, and promotion processes.
Following each academic year and awards cycle, our team of dedicated staff, faculty, students, and community partners works together to refine and strengthen our recognition processes, ensuring meaningful and equitable access across all three campuses and five academies.
