The Division of Immunology is dedicated to rigorously assessing and evaluating the progress of fellows throughout the 24 months of fellowship. A strong focus is placed on providing timely and valuable formative evaluations as well as comprehensive summative evaluations adhering to ACGME standards.
Just as important, fellows evaluate the program and its faculty members regularly, which drive continuous improvements in order to cater to fellow needs and desires
Formative Evaluation of the Fellows
Feedback is at the heart of the Rheumatology Fellowship, and all the attending physicians take their responsibility to provide timely and valuable feedback to fellows seriously. During consultation weeks, the fellow and attending physician meet at the beginning of the rotation to discuss expectations, values, and priorities for the week. This is the basis for feedback throughout the rest of the week, and the formative evaluation session that occurs at the end of the week. We utilize a customized feedback form in order to promote (1) collaboration between learners and teachers, (2) objective feedback on performance, and (3) suggestions for further improvement.
During Continuity-of-Care experiences, periodic feedback between attending physicians and fellows occurs in order to improve performance of clinical and procedural skills. Fellows control the frequency and style of feedback. Standardized forms are used to document and catalogue what type of formative evaluation has been provided.
Research mentors and fellows also meet for formative evaluation, typically occurring about once every three months. A review of the effort and progress is documented, as well as opportunities for further advancement.
Summative Evaluation of the Fellows
The Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) meets at least every six months to review how fellows are meeting their ACGME Internal Medicine subspecialty milestones. The CCC reviews formative and summative evaluations obtained from a variety of inputs, including faculty members, peers (other fellows), administrative staff, other healthcare team members, and patients in order to provide a balanced and holistic view of fellow performance. This is the basis for the semi-annual meeting with the Program Director, at which time the fellow and the program director collectively look at the evaluations and determine a plan for further improvement over the coming six months.
Evaluation of the Faculty and Program
Evaluation of the faculty and the program is considered just as important as evaluation of fellows. All fellows are required to complete an online evaluation form on the faculty and the program at least every three months. These evaluations are essential for improving the quality of the division and its educational programs. Additionally, fellows are highly encouraged to provide feedback informally to the program leadership in order to ensure that the quality of fellowship experience is maintained at a high level.