Program Director Participationin a Leadership and Management Skills Fellowship and Characteristics of Program Quality

摘要

Background and Objectives: The association between a residency program director completing a leadership and management skills fellowship and characteristics of quality and innovation of his/her residency program has not been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the association between a residency program director’s completion of a specific fellowship addressing these skills (National Institute for Program Director Development or NIPDD) and characteristics of quality and innovation of the program they direct.Methods: Using information from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and FREIDA? program characteristics were obtained. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. The relationship between programs with a NIPDD graduate as director and program quality measures and indicators of innovation was analyzed using both chi square and logistic regression.Results: Initial analyses showed significant associations between the NIPDD graduate status of a program director and regional location, mean years of program director tenure, and the program’s 5-year aggregate ABFM board pass rate from 2007–2011. After grouping the programs into tertiles, the regression model showed significant positive associations with programs offering international experiences and being a NIPDD graduate.Conclusions: Program director participation in a fellowship addressing leadership and management skills (ie, NIPDD) was found to be associated with higher pass rates of new graduates on a Board certification examination and predictive of programs being in the upper tertile of programs in terms of Board pass rates.(Fam Med 2015;47(7):536-40.)Historically, few program directors of any discipline received formal management training. The typical director described on-the-job training as the primary method of learning the skills necessary for his/her position.1 In efforts to provide family medicine residency program directors specific administrative training, the National Institute for Program Director Development (NIPDD) was developed and implemented in 1994 through a collaborative effort involving the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM), and Residency Assistance Program (now known as Residency Program Solutions or RPS). The NIPDD is a 9-month fellowship that provides instruction, education, and formative experiences designed for family physician educators to enhance and develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be effective leaders as directors of residency programs. The fellowship emphasizes leadership development, comprehensive knowledge of resources and standards, resource distribution, educational methods, leadership, and management skills.1Since its inception, graduates of the program have consistently rated their experience as favorable in terms of the content importance and relevance to the job (>4 on a 5-point scale).1 Former participants ranked the opportunity for networking with other program directors and training in residency finance as the most valuable components of the experience.1 The majority (76%) reported reduced job stress and an expanded network of educational contacts and resources.1,3 Most participants also described enhanced job satisfaction, with 83% stating that participation in the program made it more likely they would continue as program director.1,2 This finding was confirmed by a follow-up survey that found an increase in program director tenure from 3 to 4 years in 1994 to greater than 6 years in 1999.1 Ninety percent of those surveyed also noted an overall positive impact on their respective family medicine residency programs.1 Residency faculty participants who are not yet program directors reported an enhanced capacity for effectiveness in supporting the programs’ directors and the ab