Overview

National Medical Fellowships (NMF) envisions a future where everyone – regardless of their zip code, income, or circumstances – has access to excellent, affordable healthcare and clinical research trials delivered by top-tier professionals who best understand and share the lived experiences of the communities they serve. Since 1946, the organization has worked to fulfill that vision by investing in pathways and reducing barriers to medical education and transformative clinical leadership opportunities.

NMF interventions are framed by evidence-based levers of change designed to increase access to education, reduce financial burdens, and support retention in medical education and early career transitions. These levers are:

• fostering financial empowerment
• supplementing traditional medical education with social mission-focused experiential learning
• providing professional and career development anchored by structured mentoring and professional networks

NMF intends to leverage research to expand the health sector’s knowledge base, translate findings into practical action, and continuously improve the impact of its programs. As part of its research initiative, NMF convened the LIFT + SOW Roundtable Series to explore new questions shaping the future of healthcare workforce development. These conversations are designed to inform a research agenda framework and a set of clearly defined research questions to guide program innovation, sector collaboration, and solutions that can drive health workforce development transformation. 

In the area of workforce development, there is a need to better understand the key factors that influence persistence in medical education and retention in medical, healthcare, and research careers. The initial areas of inquiry focused on:

• social mission of health professions education
• social capital’s role in fostering retention and persistence in health professions graduate education and careers
• legacies and dynamics of healthcare practice

The roundtables were designed with intentionality to provide an enriching and nourishing experience grounded in a sense of place. Each gathering featured community building and grounding experiences to establish an environment for optimal creative thinking. All participants were granted anonymity to best serve the discovery process. To learn more about the design, principles, and values of the roundtables, please see the appendix.