A Toolkit to Building Your Own Career Hospitalist Advisement and Mentorship Program (CHAMP)
This comprehensive guide provides a step-by-step framework for developing a Career Hospitalist Advisement and Mentorship Program at your institution. From building your initial team to creating educational curricula and continuous improvement, this document outlines the key components needed for a successful hospitalist mentorship initiative. The CHAMP team is available to provide guidance and support throughout your program development journey.
by Eric Barna
Step 1: Build Your Team
Recruit Key Faculty
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Identify hospitalist faculty from varied clinical and leadership roles who can serve as your core group and mentor circle. Discuss your vision and secure their support by highlighting the benefits of mentorship, including residency exposure and career advancement opportunities.
Establish Resident Leadership
Find your resident leads (recommend 2 leads in the PGY-2 class) who can help bridge the gap between faculty and residents while providing peer perspective to program development.
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Conduct Needs Assessment
Deploy a simple survey targeting residents to understand their specific needs and expectations from a hospitalist mentorship program.
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Create Program Framework
Begin building the structure of your program based on faculty capabilities and resident needs assessment findings.
Step 2: Find Your Future Hospitalists
Align With Residency Leadership
Work with your residency program director and chief residents to ensure your mission complements the overall residency program goals. This alignment creates institutional support and increases program visibility among residents.
Develop Mentorship Structure
Establish clear expectations for mentors and provide a best practices guide. Schedule regular check-ins to ensure mentorship efforts remain aligned across the group
Gather Targeted Resident Input
Hold interest group meetings to hear directly from residents about their career aspirations, concerns, and mentorship needs. This direct feedback will help tailor your program to your specific institutional context.
Establish a Tracking System
Build simple tracking tools to match interested residents with appropriate faculty mentors. Consider personality traits, career niche interests and scheduling when creating these pairings.
Step 3: Build Your Educational Curriculum
Assess Curriculum Needs
Begin the process of building your career curriculum based on the specific needs identified in your resident surveys and interest group meetings.
Leverage External Resources
The CHAMP Sinai team has faculty who can deliver content virtually to supplement your local expertise. Don't hesitate to reach out for these collaborative opportunities.
Focus on PGY-3 Career Readiness
Prioritize key skills for PGY-3 residents such as CV and cover letter writing, along with interview skill development, to prepare them for the job market.
Balance Career and Clinical Content
Evolve your curriculum to include both career acquisition sessions and tools to enhance the clinical practice of future hospitalists.
Step 4: Develop a Resource Archive
Regional Job Guide
Work with your resident leads and faculty mentors to develop a comprehensive local and regional job guide. Include information about hospitalist opportunities in various practice settings, compensation ranges, and work-life balance considerations specific to your geographic area.
Interview Preparation Materials
Create resources focused on preparing residents for hospitalist interviews, including common questions, professionalism tips, and negotiation strategies tailored to hospital medicine positions.
Application Timeline Resources
Develop region-specific job application timelines that outline when to begin searching, when most positions are posted, and typical onboarding schedules for new hospitalists in your area.
Sample Archive
Compile a collection of high-quality sample CVs, cover letters, and thank-you letters that residents can use as templates during the application process.
Step 5: Re-evaluate and Re-strategize
Collect Feedback
Regularly gather input from faculty mentors, resident participants, and program leads.
Expand Resources
Continuously update job guides and educational materials.
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Analyze Program Effectiveness
Review placement statistics, satisfaction surveys, and career outcomes.
Implement Adjustments
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Modify curriculum and mentorship approaches based on feedback.
The needs of residents at your institution may vary considerably based on regional job markets, predominant practice models, and specific career interests. Once you've developed a framework for your program, it should be revisited, modified, and adjusted regularly based on key feedback from both your core faculty mentors and resident leads. This iterative approach ensures your CHAMP program remains relevant and effective.
Support and Resources from the CHAMP Team
The aim of our workshop at AAIM was not only to inspire you to develop your own CHAMP journey but to serve as mentors and points of support for the process. The CHAMP team is committed to helping other institutions establish effective hospitalist mentorship programs.
