Program Directors Survey on Competency Assessment in Cardiology Fellowship

Limited data exist regarding how cardiovascular disease (CV) fellowship programs and program directors (PDs) assess the competence of cardiology fellows.

The 5th Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship Program Directors Survey sought to understand how PDs and CV training programs assess fellow competence throughout CV training.

Our survey contained 15 items focused on trainee evaluation, competency development, and assessment in cardiology fellowship. Specific survey items focused on competence at the beginning of CV training, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones, fellow evaluation, and competency-based medical education.

The survey response rate was 49%, with most responding PDs representing university-based programs (60%). Direct faculty supervision and discussion of cases (90%) was the most common means of assessing fellow competence at the beginning of training. Evaluations from faculty were the most common tool programs used to assess 5 of 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Core Competencies. In contrast, 93% of programs used the American College of Cardiology's In-Training Examination to assess the medical knowledge competency. On average, only 60% of faculty complete the majority of fellow evaluations. Despite challenges, 81% of PDs reported confidence in their ability to assess global competence of their fellows. Most (90%) of PDs felt fellows were sufficiently competent after meeting time and case-counts in COCATS 4, and only 39% were prepared to move away from time and case-counts.

Direct engagement from teaching faculty plays a critical role in fellow assessment. Despite challenges, PDs remain confident in their ability to assess fellow competence and express reluctance about moving toward a paradigm of purely competency-based medical education.