Evaluation

Evaluating the effectiveness and success of the fellowship program should be a systematized process and should include critical assessments of the program relative to the following three areas: 1) How well does the program further the organization’s mission, philosophy, and objectives through fellow, alumni, and faculty achievement? 2) How consistent and critical is the self-assessment process in the program? 3) To what extent does the program enhance the educational process for each fellow?

1. The program should have a written plan for continuous self-assessment that promotes purposeful change and encourages improvement.
2. The program should be subject to periodic evaluations by its community of interest.
3. Evaluations should include an assessment of the following areas:
1. Fellowship guidance and vision
2. Curriculum quality – didactic, clinical, and research
3. Environment – how well does it promote learning
4. Faculty contributions to achieving fundamental objectives of fellow learning, professional socialization, and faculty growth
5. Competence of graduates
6. Program graduate achievements
7. Institutional/fellowship resources
8. Fellow and faculty services
4. It is also recommended that an objective indicator of fellow progress (i.e., inservice exam) be established for each program.

These are often created by the program director(s) using multiple sources.
 

Accountability

The sponsoring organization or institution, along with the program director and faculty, must be accountable for the integrity and effectiveness of the fellowship program. This may be accomplished through the following:

1. Provide accurate information about fellow achievement, retention, and attrition to the public
2. Maintain accurate cumulative records of educational activities
3. Limit fellows’ time commitment to the program to a reasonable number of hours to ensure patient safety and promote effective learning
4. Restrict clinical supervision to experienced practitioners who are authorized to assume responsibility for the fellow and are readily available
5. Ensure that fellows and faculty are currently licensed or certified as required by state licensing boards and institutional rules
6. Ensure that the fellow experience is exclusively focused on the subspecialty and related areas
7. Write and make available to all participants the rights and responsibilities of the following entities as they relate to the fellowship: patients, applicants, fellows, faculty, conducting and affiliating institutions

Copyright ©2005 PASSOR

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