Program Coordinator Corner

Program Coordinator Corner – January 2018

Dawne M. Vowler
Endocrinology & Metabolism Fellowship Coordinator
T32 Training Grant Manager
University of Michigan
dvowler@med.umich.edu

Creating a Back-Up Team

Have you ever been gone on a medical leave of absence or maternity leave? If so, who covered for you? If the answer was, “no one” or “an administrative assistant in our division”, you know this is not the optimal answer.

About three years ago, I was out on a medical LOA in my current role as Endocrinology & Metabolism Fellowship Program Administrator. No one covered my position. I “pre-planned” as much as I could. Honestly, I returned to work earlier than I should have (my own choice) because I felt the pull of getting back to my duties. This is not an optimal professional situation.

Here at the University of Michigan, our Internal Medicine Core Programs and the Medical Subspecialties have a strong group of PCs that work together (16 Coordinators between the core and fellowship programs). We meet regularly and have strong bonds of professional and personal relationships. The IM Residency Program Administrator asked a group of five of us with strong skills in various complimenting areas to come together and form a Back-Up Team that could be activated in the event that a PC would go out on a leave or leave his/her position and the job be left vacant for a period of time. The goal of this group would be to provide coverage and continuity of tasks. We were NOT there to change any current processes or provide judgment on how any particular coordinator did their job.

Our IM Program Administrator was able to communicate, at the Department Level, to obtain buy in from the Department and Division Leadership to provide monetary compensation for us, each time the team is activated.

Concurrently, another task force in our group was working on an electronic Program Coordinator Job Manual, that all of us could use. This job manual is somewhat generic in that it provides basic information on things we all do, not detailed information on what each individual PC does. However, it is somewhat specialized in that it provides specific information for the Department of Internal Medicine, which is different than other areas of the Health System. Note this paragraph, as I will reference it again later.

To get started, we met, as a group, and created a list of annual tasks. We created an email address for all five team members, so we could communicate with each other and programs utilizing our services could communicate their needs to us. We discussed issues involved for team activation, when the time came, and decided the following:
Tasks assigned based on availability, time of year, physical location of offices, and areas of expertise

• Created a process to activate the team which included meeting with the current coordinator (if possible), Program Director, and other management staff to discuss immediate needs
• Team “post meeting” to further delegate additional tasks, after meeting with the divisional group
• Send copy of the assignments to the program, so we and they are all clear about how the team will run

We have activated this team one time, which happened when a Program Coordinator went out for emergent surgery. The timeframe was June 7 – July 17, which covered the division’s graduation party, off boarding, orientation, as well as some regular activities. Of course, this was happening at the same time as our own activities of the same.

Through this first activation, we learned:

•  Program Specific Checklist
  • We added this checklist as a requirement to our electronic Program Coordinator Job Manual. (Remember when I said I would reference the above paragraph again.) This “at a glance” information that is specific to each program will make stepping in and taking over much easier.
• Assignment of unassigned tasks
  • We left the generic tasks that arrived by email unassigned on a “first come; first take” basis among the team. We found everyone was jumping quickly to take these, as we are all pretty organized and eager to help. We decided that it might be better to have a day of the week (since there are five of us) that each of us monitors the generic email issues. Exceptions would be things that are clearly better for a specific person to cover.

Our team felt that a Post Activation Debriefing was important. We sent a short survey, through Qualtrics, to the fellows, PD, PC, and the Division Administrator, to get their feedback on the process. We utilized the feedback for team improvement. We also held a debriefing meeting with our IM Program Administrator, and the PC who had gone out and her PD to review tasks and discuss issues that we encountered during the absence. We decided it would be best to have only one member of our team conduct this debriefing to minimize the impression of judgment. It is very important to our team that this project maintains goodwill throughout the fellowships.

Clearly, every institution is different, so no two organizations would have quite the same execution of this plan, but I think a Back-Up Team can be organized and activated, in some form, in most institutions. I encourage you to advocate for one.

Lastly, our team submitted this project for presentation at both APDIM and ACGME 2018 Annual Meetings. We were accepted to both, so if you are attending either meeting, please feel free to come to the presentation and hear more about this project.

Program Coordinator Corner – December 2017

Alex Stoller, MPA
Fellowship Program Administrator
University of Washington
AStoller@medicine.washington.edu

Professional Development: Small Commitments and Big Rewards

When I first started my role in graduate medical education, I was inspired by the work and volunteering many of our trainees were able to accomplish during medical school. As our trainees were studying late nights in preparation for residency, they were also volunteering at low income clinics, starting non-profits, or working on leadership projects. Many of these opportunities embodied the skills (public service, leadership, teamwork, professional development) I wanted to build upon in my own career to become a stronger administrator. I started to explore different opportunities which allowed me to develop my professional and leadership skills within my role.

As graduate medical education staff, our own career paths are not always clear. Sometimes, it’s difficult to fit in more projects when you are managing a busy program, supporting your faculty and trainees, and making time for your own lives. Taking on more can feel overwhelming; however, here are some opportunities which require a relatively small commitment and can help provide big rewards in your career:

• Join a New Project In-House: Many hospitals and graduate medical education programs are looking for staff volunteers to help with new and existing projects. This is also an excellent opportunity to invest in the development of your organization, meet others, and learn more about what is happening in your work environment. Ask your program director, administrator, or graduate medical education office about opportunities which may be a good fit for you.

• Network! Network! Network! Too often, we get stuck on our own fellowship desert islands, but don’t forget to build your own personal network. Reach out and meet other program coordinators and graduate medical staff in your geographical area, network through annual meetings such as the annual ACGME or AAIM meetings, or start a local “coffee break” or “happy hour” event.

• Volunteer: Volunteer your time at a non-profit organization, church, or local school. Join a board, become an officer of an organization, or lead a project within a new organization. Giving time to an organization can build your network and provide leadership opportunities in the future.

• Participate on a Public Commission or Board: Several years ago, I joined a monthly public transit board for my area. Although this was outside my knowledge base of medicine, it was a great opportunity to network with other public administrators (including meeting those who worked in local hospitals) in the area. Participation on a community or public board can develop your interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. Check out your local county or city listings for local opportunities.

There are many other opportunities you can also pursue in your career including pursuing C-TACGME certification, completing a graduate degree, or presenting at a national meeting. Each opportunity will take a different time commitment, so be sure to consider an opportunity that is right for you. Participation in different projects, networking, and volunteering can not only build your own curriculum vitae, it can also provide a strong foundation as you grow in a graduate medical education career.

Program Coordinator Corner – October 2017

Dawne M. Vowler
Endocrinology & Metabolism Fellowship Coordinator
T32 Training Grant Manager
University of Michigan
dvowler@med.umich.edu

Interview Broker
This was the second year that we used Interview Broker (IB) to during the recruitment process. I heard about IB from other PCs here at the University of Michigan, who had much larger programs, sometimes with hundreds of interviews to schedule. I was unsure if it was necessary for smaller Fellowships. I tried it, and I love it! IB saves time for almost all program sizes, as it takes out the “middle man” (you) and lets the process take care of itself.

How it works:
Set up an account in IB
Set up a “Campaign” – interview dates/times, etc.
Compose invite letter in IB
Download addresses from ERAS into IB (ERAS has an auto link – so easy!)
Invite candidates (more can be invited at any time)
Sit back and relax, as they will set up their own interview dates, change them, cancel them, etc.
If I include my email in the invite letter (suggested) the candidates can contact me with further questions. I only hear from a small fraction of them with minor questions.
The first emails I have to send out to candidates myself are to send them itineraries, directions, etc. for the actual interview day.
At any time, I can log in and see “at a glance” how many slots are open, filled, applicants invited, etc.

FAQs
Less contact with the applicants?
Maybe but only in the “non-essential” stage of setting up dates. The important contact times of sending an individualized itinerary, the actual interview day, and post interview still exist.
Biggest endorsement for applicants?
In this day and age, the applicants are used to doing almost everything electronically – shopping, communicating, etc. – so they prefer to schedule interviews this way. Also, they are often working in the hospital, during business hours, so they can schedule the interview in the middle of the night with IB.
Worth the cost?
Yes! Cost is based on numbers of emails sent, so size of program matters. Time saved is also somewhat commensurate to size of program. I saved many hours and dozens of emails and phone calls back and forth to applicants!!

Are you a Program Coordinator who would like to share your experience with your peers? Share your tips and tricks of the trade by volunteering to write a Program Coordinator (PC) Corner article for our future newsletters! Email apdem@endocrine.org with your PC Corner topics and articles today.