Families as Faculty

The Families as Faculty Program is a training experience that offers pediatric residents, medical students, public health students and other related allied professional trainees an opportunity to learn from families. In the comfort and relaxed atmosphere of their homes, families can tell their story, talk candidly about the special challenges they face and reflect openly and honestly on their experiences with health care professionals.

Participants will

Participate in a 2 hour webinar training
Host small groups of students in their homes as their schedule allows
Share their experiences and their story

Core Values Include

Good communication
Collaborative relationships
Identifying and promoting family strengths
Recognizing and respecting beliefs regarding health and well-being
Compassion

For more information about trainings and participation in this program please contact Kelly Meissner at kelly@ppmd.org or 410-768-9100 × 107

The Families as Faculty program is funded in part by grants from the Health Resources Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau and Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office for Genetics and People with Special Health Care Needs.

Here’s what some students and medical professionals have to say about their experience:

With the intention to work in the field of health care planning and policy, the experience of meeting a family and their child reaffirmed my belief that families should be at the center of the policy making process. It is essential that they are able to communicate to medical professionals the reality of living with a child who has special health care needs including areas of what works and what does not work.

— A public health student

I now understand that despite the fact that there are many more services in place for children with special health care needs and increasing awareness of these children's needs there is still much to be done. Systems continue to be very difficult for families to navigate through and the demands placed on all families are daunting and exhausting.

— a medical resident

From this experience, I have learned that every parent has expectations for their child and that it will be my role to aid the parents in helping their children reach these goals. I will be more aware of the problems families face with insurance and schooling. I also learned from the family that it was offensive when the physician spoke only to him and referred to his daughter not by her name but by her condition.

— a medical resident