CFDC History

Our roots are in Primary Care disciplines: Medicine, Family Medicine and Pediatrics.  Since 1994 faculty, both clinical teachers and medical educators, have formed a vibrant collaborative of professionals discussing, researching, and teaching about teaching.  Recognizing that a great part of medical education happens outside classrooms, in corridors, around bedsides, in offices, the core of our efforts has been to develop communication and educational planning skills, as well as the ability to provide effective feedback and coaching.  We have trained over a thousand primary care faculty with curriculum developed with the assistance of multiple HRSA grants, and have worked collaboratively with medical schools throughout New England, the US and internationally.

UMass Chan Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health has provided a supportive home for our activities, which have included the development of educational planning curriculum for “Teaching of Tomorrow”, advanced training for education fellows, and faculty development coaching and consulting. 

With the advent of new technologies and an increased emphasis on inter-professional teams, we continue to develop relevant, accessible and effective training for educators who will teach future generations of medical professionals.