Hi everyone,
It’s SURVEY time! Tomorrow, if you’re a Traditional resident or core faculty, you’re going to get an email from the ACGME asking you to evaluate our program.*
If you’re going to complete just one survey this year, this is it.
The ACGME uses the survey to ensure programs meet their obligations. Are we educating you? Are we giving feedback? Do we seek and respond to feedback? Do we promote a safe learning climate? Do faculty supervise you and role model professionalism? Do we foster patient safety and teamwork? Do we enforce duty hour limits? Do we offer scholarship opportunities? Do we promote diversity and inclusion? Do we provide graduated responsibility and prepare you for independent practice?
Beyond helping us maintain accreditation, the survey tells our Program Evaluation Committee (PEC) how we can improve. Here’s a partial list of program improvements that resulted from past surveys:
- Scholarship: We created the Resident Research Repository (RRR) and faculty liaisons in each academic section to help trainees find research mentors.
- Rotation Feedback: Resident feedback is shared in real time with Firm Chiefs to make improvements.
- New Learning Opportunities: To meet learning needs, we created intern “selectives” in addiction medicine, palliative care, PM&R, street medicine, and more at the VA. We developed simulation modules. Educational Half Days on ambulatory blocks have been designed to foster teaching, communication, advocacy skills, and more. Distinction Pathways were created to allow residents to pursue special interests in investigation; education; quality improvement and leadership; global health & equity; and race, bias, and advocacy. We have a POCUS Superuser Pathway for residents to develop advanced ultrasound skills.
- Educational Access: All inpatient lectures are recorded so residents on night rotations, ICU rotations, and days off can learn asynchronously
- Social Determinants of Health: Specific content was added to inpatient lectures and outpatient education.
- Learning Climate: Upstander training was provided to residents at color block retreats. We offer multiple venues (SAFER, JPSR, GME hotline, OAPD, program leadership) for residents to report concerns and, if necessary, confidentially.
- Wellness: All residents are offered free coaching through “Better Together” and funding is provided for Color Block social events, Arts Night, and the Annual Ball. All residents are offered MACs (Mentors-Advisors-Coaches) to serve as confidants. Residents also have ready access to meet mental health needs through the GME office.
- Safety: We’ve ramped up M&Ms, instituted ICU-PAUSE, and are working on new transitions of care notes.
- Duty Hours: We constantly monitor duty hours and violations are rare (virtually no one exceeds the ACGME cap of 80 hours per week averaged over 4 weeks or has fewer than 1 day off per week averaged over 4 weeks).
- Fatigue: We’ve made major steps to promote rest, most especially by eliminating 28 hour call.
- Administrative Support: We hired HACs to assist with post-discharge scheduling and obtaining medical records.
- New Clinical Experiences: We created DEFINE-HM and Cardiology Blue so residents can care for patients before they leave the ED.. We also created the Hospital Medicine rotation and outpatient specialty experiences so residents can explore career options.
- Graduated autonomy: We instituted Intern Milestones to help PGY1s prepare to become seniors. We created several PGY3-oriented capstone rotations (MICU-MARS, Whitman, YSC-HM, and VA-MICU) to allow residents to prove they are ready for independent practice. In clinic, we offer “Pretending” experiences where PGY3s precept PGY1s.
Please answer the survey honestly and read the questions carefully, paying close attention to the wording. As mentioned at Friday’s PD meeting, “education” includes patient care experiences in addition to didactics. “Non-physician activities” include routinely drawing blood and transporting patients to tests. “Cross Coverage” refers to patients you care for on a colleague’s day off or overnight (they are not included in your patient cap). “Night Float” includes night rotations other than ICU nights and ED nights. If you’re unsure about the wording or the question being asked, don’t guess- we’re happy to explain! Finally, remember that you are being asked about this academic year, from June 21, 2024 until now.
Your answers to the survey are confidential and compiled into a composite report. We look forward to 100% participation and thank you in advance for all that you do to make our program great.
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone! I’ll be driving through the snow to join my Green Team for another fantastic day in the MICU! Happy Super Bowl Sunday for those who watch and celebrate!
Mark
*Check your junk mail if you don’t get it.
What I’m reading:
- The Robot Doctor Will See You Now
- I Ran U.S.A.I.D. Killing It Is a Win for Autocrats Everywhere.
- NIH caps "indirect research costs" at 15%, potentially surrendering decades of US dominance in medical research.
- Squeeze Me