Curriculum

Clinical time of up to 20% FTE will be set aside for fellows to practice in their primary specialty. The program will work with the fellow and appropriate department(s) to find a suitable practice setting. All patient care will be supervised by qualified faculty. The program director will ensure adequate supervision of fellows at all times and that the level of supervision is appropriate for each fellow's level of training and ability, as well as patient complexity and acuity. Clinical Informatics Fellows are considered advanced learners, who are ready to practice without direct supervision in their primary specialty. All fellow patient interactions, documentation, and medical decision-making will be supervised by appropriate faculty; however, the nature of that supervision will vary based on clinical situation, institutional guidelines, and the specialty in which the fellow is practicing.

Clinical informatics fellows may have the opportunity to gain experience in teaching medical students and residents; to enhance teaching skills, fellows will participate in the U of M's Teaching, Evaluation, and Curriculum for Healthcare professionals (TEACH) course, a six-month faculty development course focused on developing and implementing a curriculum that addresses an educational need in the participant's program.

Fellows are expected to contribute to the education of other learners when they are present. This can include trainees from other healthcare professions (e.g. nursing, social work).

As a clinical informatics fellow, you will be evaluated in the following ways:

• Fellows and supervising rotational faculty review written rotational objectives together at the start of each new rotational assignment. Based on the rotational objectives, the supervising rotational faculty members and the fellow verbally agree on an educational plan, as well as operating procedures, for that rotation.
• Fellows receive formative (ongoing) feedback from the rotational faculty, verbally, at regular intervals during each clinical rotation. Formative feedback should occur at least once during the rotation and preferably on a weekly basis. Initially, it should occur no later than the midpoint of the rotation.
• Fellows receive formative (ongoing) feedback from faculty. This serves as a progress check on clinical and academic performance to date and an opportunity to monitor fellow well-being, including duty hours, fellow fatigue, and general well-being.
• Fellows receive summative feedback from the supervising rotational faculty at the end of each rotation, verbally and in written form via RMS.
• Fellows receive summative feedback from the program director at semi-annual meetings. At these meetings, fellows receive an assessment of their clinical and academic performance along with concrete recommendations for performance improvement.
• Fellows will receive a final evaluation from the program director upon completion of the program.
• If a fellow has questions about a specific evaluation about themselves, the fellow is encouraged to speak with the respective faculty member directly. If the fellow does not feel comfortable directing their questions to the faculty member or if a dispute over an evaluation remains unresolved, he/she/they may contact the program director.
• Evaluation disputes may be referred to the Scholastic Standing Committee for review and recommendations if needed.

Fellows will complete research and quality improvement projects over the course of the fellowship program. The fellowship curriculum also includes important and diverse didactic experiences:

• Teaching, Evaluation, and Curriculum for Healthcare Professionals (TEACH) course through the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health is required in preparation for expectations as teachers
• Clinical informatics journal club
• Foundations of Health Informatics I & II with Labs in the Health Informatics Graduate Program (year 1)
• Didactive electives in the Health Informatics Graduate Program (year 2)
• Epic Physician Builder I & II courses; additional Epic courses are available