Self-Assessment of Preparedness among Critical Care Trainees Transitioning from Fellowship to Practice

Abstract

This study evaluated the subjective assessment of preparedness needs of critical care trainees and recent graduates between 2013 and 2014. A questionnaire was developed and validated by the subcommittee of the In-Training Section of Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). The survey was deployed twice between December 2013 and January 2014 via email to any trainee or individual graduated from a critical care fellowship within the previous three years. Six percent (180) of all individuals completed the survey, and 67% of respondents had recently interviewed for a job. Northeast was the preferred location for a job (47%), and academia was favored over private practice (80% vs. 15%). Of the respondents that secured an interview, 55% felt prepared for the interview, 67% felt prepared to build an adequate job portfolio, 33% received formal guidance from their mentor/training program. 89% of total respondents agreed it is important to participate in a formal training course in job search, portfolio development, and interviewing process. The preferred sources of training were equally distributed between their home institution, webinars, and SCCM. There is an ongoing need in education regarding the transition period from fellowship to practice.

Perceptions of the stressful job search for pediatric hematology/oncology fellows

“…19 Additionally, some fellows may have been for formal guidance from mentors. 15,20,21 The results from our study reveal a role for not only institution-level changes that can be established locally, but also for larger specialty societies such as the Children's Oncology Group, American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASPHO to provide more standardized resources and opportunities for more guidance and expertise on the job search process for pediatric hematology/oncology trainees. Based on our fellows' responses, creating roadmaps and establishing a curricula for all phases of career development (i.e., even beyond the job offer with negotiation strategies) would prove extraordinarily beneficial.…”

“…Lastly, generalizability of the issues within the PHO job search to other specialties may be limited. However, studies in other fields have demonstrated similarly difficult transitions from training to practice—including low availability of desirable positions, need for contract negotiation skills, difficulty with visa needs, and need for formal guidance from mentors 15,20,21 …”

Pilot Study Characterizing the Hematology-Oncology Fellow Job Search Process: Tools Used and Identification of Potential New Resources

“…In pathology, international medical school graduates reported greater difficulty in finding and accepting positions, similar to the Visa issues faced by fellows in our study [ 5 ]. Regarding new tools/techniques and recommendations for improvement, a study of critical care fellows found that less than half of trainees received formal guidance from mentors or training programs regarding post-fellowship employment, but that the vast majority felt it would be important to have formal training programs in the job search and interview process [ 6 ]. A survey of recent endocrine surgery fellow graduates noted that fellows cited increased mentor involvement with the job search process and training in job search strategies as areas for fellowship program improvement [ 7 ].…”

Do South African anaesthesiology graduates consider themselves fit for purpose? A longitudinal study

“…33 Graduate self-assessment may be less useful as an indicator of preparedness than the evaluation of the quality of graduate training, educational experiences, 20,22 and the relevance and value of training programmes. 15 However, it is useful to gauge academic, emotional and personal support offered to trainees while in training, 11,15,25 and it contributes to selfreflection which is an important part of continuing professional development. 44 Self-assessment may also affect practitioners' levels of confidence to take on or to avoid certain specialist roles.…”

“…Communicator, Collaborator, Scholar, Leader, Professional and Health Advocate). 24 However, despite competency-based training, several studies have shown that graduates are considered unprepared for specialist practice either by themselves 11,25,26 and/or their seniors/managers, 17,23 and may therefore not be fit for purpose (FFP). The authors attempted to define fitness for purpose (FnFP) in South African anaesthesiology in terms of the currently-used CanMEDS competency framework by assessing its local applicability and considering possible unique contextual components.…”