Five ways to get a grip on applying a program evaluation model in health professions education academies

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Program Evaluation
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Health professions educator academies are increasingly common in Canada and the US.
• Evaluating their effectiveness is challenging due to resource limitations for academy leadership.
• There is a need for practical guidance on program evaluation for these academies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a step-by-step guide for evaluating health professions educator academies.
• To assist academy leadership in developing effective program evaluation plans.
• To enhance the ability of academies to demonstrate impact and secure funding.

Main Methods:

• Outlines a practical, step-by-step approach to program evaluation.
• Recommends applying relevant evaluation frameworks.
• Emphasizes strategic planning, outcome identification, and data collection.

Main Results:

• A proactive program evaluation plan ensures academies align with outcomes and stakeholder expectations.
• Evaluation provides a mechanism for tracking academy impact.
• Demonstrating impact strengthens funding requests and promotes sustainability.

Conclusions:

• Developing an evaluation plan in advance is essential for academy success.
• Key steps include framework selection, resource identification, outcome definition, data collection, and IRB approval.
• Effective program evaluation supports academy sustainability and stakeholder engagement.