Increasing Support and Job Satisfaction for Program Administrators at the Postgraduate Medical Education Off

Background: Realizing Program Administrators (PAs) are crucial to the success of the postgraduate medical education (PGME) program, the postgraduate medical education office at the University of Ottawa conducted a needs analysis to; (a) identify training opportunities PAs felt would support them in being effective at meeting role expectations including supporting Program Directors (PDs); and (b) gather information from PAs to guide the PGME office in taking positive action toward increasing satisfaction with services and resources. Methods: A mixed methods approach, involved collecting and analyzing data from online surveys and follow-up qualitative interviews. The constructs of the W(e)Learn framework (content, media (delivery), service, structure and outcomes) guided the data analysis. Results: PAs identified the following professional development topics they said would benefit them: Human Resources; Communication and Conflict Management Courses; Career Development; Evaluation, Policy, Multigenerational Workforces; and Best Technological Practices of Relevance to PAs. The PAs also identified several recommendations for how the PGME office could facilitate them effectively carrying out their roles and responsibilities. Conclusions: An effective form of support is offering convenient, relevant professional development to help employees meet role expectations. A well-designed professional development program should begin with a needs analysis to determine stakeholder needs with regard to relevant content, preferred delivery methods, service issues and course structure, in order to ensure desired learner outcomes.