Faculty development for fellows: Developing and evaluating a broad-based career development course for critical care medicine trainees

PurposeThere is no defined training experience to teach the broad range of professional skills needed to transition from critical care trainee to practitioner. We hypothesized that a durable set of career development skills could be created for critical care medicine (CCM) trainees using a novel curriculum defined by both learners and content experts.Materials and methodsWe presented a curriculum focused on professional development skills to 8 second-year CCM fellows at a university-based training program. A needs assessment using input from faculty and fellows selected 22 topics for the course. Surveys given precurriculum and postcurriculum and at 3-year follow-up measured the perceived importance of these topics and learner comfort with the skills presented.ResultsAverage class attendance was 77%. Seven subjects (87.5%) responded to each survey time point. Comfort scores increased from precourse to postcourse survey. Scores were maintained across most content areas from postcourse survey to follow-up. Respondents attributed a high level of importance to receiving training of this kind.ConclusionsTeaching a broad range of career development skills can result in durable confidence when reinforced by regular use postgraduation. This course fills a critical care educational need, facilitating the transition to practitioner after CCM training.