Since 1961, medical profession educators [1] have attempted to determine the quality of medical education provided across the globe.
Given the diverse pool entering the nursing profession, educators must find a way to design clinical placements in the manner that best meets the needs of this rapidly changing student population.
Below, we distinguish between people working in the nursing/medical professions (nursing staff, therapists), those in pedagogic professions (educators, teachers, social education workers) and others (people spending a gap year doing voluntary work in the social sector, interns, and trainees).
As health professions educators have noted, a comprehensive assessment of educational outcomes should include a hierarchy that considers participant numbers, satisfaction, learning, competence and performance; patient health; and community health [ 20].
Participants (n=61) came from 10 African countries and included a wide range of health professions educators.
In their personal journeys as health professions educators, participants also gained insight into the broad spectrum of health professions educators and ways in which they could interact as part of multiprofessional healthcare teams.
A total of 64 health professions educators representing 11 African countries participated in the programme between 2008 and 2011.
In 2008 the sub-Saharan FAIMER Regional Institute launched a faculty development programme aimed at enhancing the academic and research capacity of health professions educators working in sub-Saharan Africa.
The SAFRI faculty development programme focuses on developing African health professions educators as leaders, teachers, scholars and advocates for change at multiple levels, including the individual, school, university and the health professions.
The data presented in this paper confirm the hypothesis that the SAFRI programme has a positive impact on the personal and professional development of health professions educators from a diverse range of professions, countries and universities in sub-Saharan Africa.
