Interventions to improve faculty well-being in medical schools: a scoping review

Abstract

BackgroundMedical school faculty play a crucial role in education, research, and clinical care. However, they encounter increasing challenges such as excessive workloads, growing administrative responsibilities, and insufficient institutional support. These stressors intensify the risk of burnout and negatively affect their overall well-being. Despite the increased awareness of faculty well-being, interventions addressing the needs of medical school faculty remain fragmented. This scoping review aims to systematically map the existing interventions that support the faculty's well-being.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted up to November 2025. Studies were included if they reported faculty-focused well-being interventions with quantitative pre-post outcomes using psychological measures. Data extraction and analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, and interventions were thematically categorized by implementation focus.ResultsWe screened 8135 abstracts, reviewed 429 full-text reports, and included 13 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Interventions were classified into four categories: (1) individual level (e.g., mindfulness training, digital gratitude exercises), (2) peer/group based (e.g., mentoring, reflection groups), (3) organizational level (e.g., leadership programs, schedule changes), and (4) multimodal strategies that integrate individual and institutional components. Numerous studies have indicated decreases in burnout and stress, as well as improvement in well-being. However, significant variation in study design, outcome measures, and duration limited the study's comparability.ConclusionsInterventions to support faculty well-being in medical schools are diverse and generally beneficial. The multilevel and organizational-level approaches show the strongest potential. Medical schools need to emphasize multilevel organizational reforms-concentrating on workload, recognition, and leadership accountability-while integrating individual-level supports to foster sustainable improvements in faculty well-being. Future studies should adopt standardized outcome measures and longitudinal designs to better evaluate sustainability and impact. This scoping review evaluates existing evidence on intervention strategies designed to improve faculty well-being in medical schools while identifying significant research gaps and future directions. Although this study focused on medical school faculty, it may also provide insights relevant to broader well-being initiatives within health professions education.