Do faculty evals during residency matter?

[Ruban]

This may be a silly question, but: do faculty evaluations during residency even matter? In med school it matters since you'll be applying for residency and want good grades and LORs. But in residency, you're basically in the program for 4 years and when you finish (unless you are applying for a fellowship), you're done with school. Clearly, I'm missing something, but why do people care what evals they get in residency as long as they're learning what they need to learn? (assuming you don't want to go into academia)

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[southerndoc]

This may be a silly question, but: do faculty evaluations during residency even matter? In med school it matters since you'll be applying for residency and want good grades and LORs. But in residency, you're basically in the program for 4 years and when you finish (unless you are applying for a fellowship), you're done with school. Clearly, I'm missing something, but why do people care what evals they get in residency as long as they're learning what they need to learn? (assuming you don't want to go into academia)

A lot of institutions, particularly large academic hospitals, use your evaluations to determine if you need remediation. Your contract is usually renewed on an annual basis. I have known of residents who did not have their contracts renewed because of bad faculty evaluations.

An unsafe residents makes for an unsafe physician. There is no guarantee that once you start residency you will finish residency. If you don't learn, you don't graduate.

 

[yaah]

Faculty evals are very important, and they often lead to letters of rec when you are applying for jobs. They will help the program director out when he/she writes a letter in support of you in your job search.

 

[BKN]

This may be a silly question, but: do faculty evaluations during residency even matter? In med school it matters since you'll be applying for residency and want good grades and LORs. But in residency, you're basically in the program for 4 years and when you finish (unless you are applying for a fellowship), you're done with school. Clearly, I'm missing something, but why do people care what evals they get in residency as long as they're learning what they need to learn? (assuming you don't want to go into academia)

Of course they matter. Promotion decisions, remediation decisions, firing decisions and your final training report are all made on that basis.

You really do have a permanent record and it is your residency file. Every time you apply for a medical license, hospital privileges, or a job a letter of inquiry will go to your residency. I fill out lots on people I haven't seen in 2 decades. Even thirty years down the road the inquiry is made and a new PD who wasn't born when you were in training pulls out the letter and sends it. (Okay, I exaggerated a little on the wasn't born part).

Point is, faculty evals and residency training are far more important than med school or college evals and grades.

 

[kungfufishing]

I think that questioning whether or not faculty evaluations matter is missing the point. Given the responsibility our profession entails, I would hope that by the time we enter formal specialty training that our own sense of professionalism, interest in the chosen field, and desire for knowledge and skill provide sufficient motivation.

 

[BKN]

I think that questioning whether or not faculty evaluations matter is missing the point. Given the responsibility our profession entails, I would hope that by the time we enter formal specialty training that our own sense of professionalism, interest in the chosen field, and desire for knowledge and skill provide sufficient motivation.

Of course, but some still need a push.

 

[pintsized]

is it just like a deans letter, with grades, and a relative ranking?

 

[radonc777]

We all have been through the showy interview scene and know that programs as well as applicants on on their best behaviors. That being said, the only way to know someone in any relationship (just think about your significant other and the courtship process, too!) is the long haul...the day-to-day interactions and observations of work ethic, professionalism, teamwork skills, etc.

Life's lessons include realization that there's no substituting firsthand knowledge of someone...that's where evals come into play! So faculty evals are important...because they see you even on your stressed-out days. It is no revelation, really, that your life after residency will also be stressful as an attending physician with even more responsibility and otherwise as well so your future employer needs to know how you're gonna respond when you're in the occasional pressure cooker of patient care...heyya, it's your job.

I tend to agree also that you want the best place for yourself to fit in as well so (as crazy as it seems) a negative eval on your Nephrology rotation for ezxample may in fact steer you clear from applying to a Renal sub-specialty...life is strange but cool like that!

 

[medgator]

This may be a silly question, but: do faculty evaluations during residency even matter? In med school it matters since you'll be applying for residency and want good grades and LORs. But in residency, you're basically in the program for 4 years and when you finish (unless you are applying for a fellowship), you're done with school. Clearly, I'm missing something, but why do people care what evals they get in residency as long as they're learning what they need to learn? (assuming you don't want to go into academia)

For fellowship, they DEFINITELY MATTER. I have been told this by numerous PDs and residents. If you are going for the competitive IM fields du jour (Cards, GI, Heme Onc), you almost always need to be a stellar resident during your training as evidenced by your evals.

 

[BKN]

is it just like a deans letter, with grades, and a relative ranking?

Depends on which eval you're talking about. Some happen yearly, (report to the director of medical ed), monthly (report from rotation to PD), end of training report, etc.

Grades are not usually used. Most often a Lickert scale used for each of many qualities and performance that are specialty specific, but all will have comments about the 6 general competencies in some form or other. Relative rankings are less common but used, usually in quartiles.

The end of training report is not much like a dean's letter. It tends to be shorter and more focused. But your PD will know you far better than your dean did. Most of the time that will be a good thing and the letter both positive and believable.

 

[faelivrin]

Sorry for the necrobump, but does the same hold true of peer (i.e. senior resident) reviews?

 

[AdmiralChz]

Sorry for the necrobump, but does the same hold true of peer (i.e. senior resident) reviews?

You should seriously consider making your own thread as this is greater than 10 years old. At my shop all evaluations are reviewed semi-annually with your advisor (an ACGME requirement, some may review more frequently if you have had some issues). We hold peer evaluations in a similar way to faculty evaluations - functioning as a team is critically important in medicine and this helps identify those who may struggle with teamwork (e.g. by being overbearing, highly critical, unwavering).

 

[Raryn]

Sorry for the necrobump, but does the same hold true of peer (i.e. senior resident) reviews?

The answer is the same as any other answer about evaluations: It depends.

One bad peer (or faculty) evaluation? Could have been a personality conflict, an off day, whatever.

A pattern of bad peer (or faculty) evaluations? That's an issue.