Physician mentoring and evaluation

Maintaining a cohesive medical group requires more than partners who get along with one another. Physicians must share the same values and be willing to give (and graciously receive) honest feedback on issues such as quality of care, technical competence, patient- and staff relations, behavior, work ethic, and productivity. This article shows group leaders how to start this process by mentoring new physicians and how to then extend the process to include all physicians in the group. Medical practices that have evaluation systems in place enjoy benefits that include better communication, accountability, increased retention rates, and a more unified group. Many physician groups avoid the evaluation process because they are not comfortable "judging" their peers, they don't know how to approach the process, or they don't want to invest the time. This article presents alternative approaches to establishing a mentoring and evaluation process, shows group leaders how to identify which is right for them, and provides do's and don'ts for a smooth implementation ofthe process.