EVALUATION METHODS

The goal of resident evaluation is to provide residents and their teachers with an ongoing measurement of the residents, knowledge, skills, attitudes and clinical performance in the different areas within the training experience. The evaluation process also provides the Training Directors with important information needed to provide the best possible educational experience for residents. At every stage of the residents' training, the primary educational focus is on clinical patient care. In order to insure a rich educational experience for residents, they are assigned several supervisors on all their clinical rotations. Formal written evaluations of performance are completed at regular intervals for each clinical rotations. Residents are evaluated in the areas of knowledge, clinical curiosity, clinical skills, written work, oral presentations, professional attitude and personal characteristics.

The evaluation form includes a space for written comments by the evaluator, which should include indication of the resident's strengths and weaknesses, and suggestions for future areas of educational focus. Residents are expected to review each written evaluation with the evaluator and sign the evaluation form; a space is also provided for written comments by the resident. The evaluator then submits the evaluation form to the Residency Training Directors, who review it and may record comments of their own in the space provided. The Training Directors sign the evaluation and make it part of the resident's permanent file. Written evaluations are also completed by psychotherapy supervisors at least once a year. The format of these evaluations is similar to the one of clinical rotations, and includes space for written comments by the supervisor, the resident and the Training Directors. In addition, residents evaluate in writing their clinical supervisors and didactic courses at the end of each clinical or didactic experience. These evaluations are submitted to the Training Directors, who use them to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational program.

Every resident maintains a Certification Book that is distributed to residents in all SUNY-DOWNSTATE programs in order to document proper supervision of medical procedures, and to provide a means of clinical privileging of residents to perform certain procedures without supervision. In addition, in accordance with theguidelines of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), each resident is required to maintain a Log Book which records demographic information, diagnosis, treatment modality and duration of treatment for all of the resident's cases. The information contained in the Log Book is used by the resident and by the Training Directors to insure that the resident treats an adequate variety of cases, has adequate experience with different treatment modalities, and treats a sufficient number of patients continuously for a year or more.

The Psychiatry Resident In-Training Examination (PRITE) is administered annually to all residents in the Residency Training Program. The results of this written examination help the Training Directors assess the effectiveness of the educational program and identify areas of strength and weakness in the residents, knowledge of psychiatry, neurology and neuroscience. It also affords the residents the opportunity to compare their performance with their peers in the program and with psychiatric residents nationwide, in participating programs, at their level of training.

Mock oral board examinations in Adult Psychiatry are given annually to each resident in the program beginning in their second- postgraduate year of training. This give us an additional measure of the residents, acquired skills and knowledge in psychiatry and their ability to apply these to a clinical situation.

The Residency Training Directors meet semi-annually with each resident to review the resident's progress, review areas of strength and weakness, and discuss future educational goals. If a resident is having special difficulty fulfilling the requirements of the program, the Training Directors may assign a faculty member to the resident as a preceptor. The preceptor meets regularly with the resident and helps the resident identify and overcome problems in the resident's personal or professional life that may be interfering with the residents, adjustment to the demands of the program. The Training Directors are also available to all residents for advice, informal counselling and, if advisable, referral for professional help.