Resident Evaluations

Residents
The performance of each resident on each rotation is evaluated by teaching staff on that rotation. A detailed questionnaire is completed at the end of each rotation by each attending physician with whom the resident worked. The questionnaire utilizes a grading system with 30 components within the areas of medical knowledge, ability to function as a physician, surgical skills, personal characteristics, interpersonal relationships and teaching abilities as well as narrative responses to questions concerning the strengths, abilities, weaknesses and general comments for each resident. These evaluations are discussed with each resident and kept on file for resident and institutional review.

Each resident is tested in an oral examination format twice yearly utilizing the model of the American Board of Surgery Certifying Examination. The results of this examination are discussed with all members of the teaching staff. Additionally, the Surgery Residency Advisory Committee meets on a monthly basis and discusses the progress and performance of each resident within the program. The Surgical Residency Program Director meets with each resident individually twice annually to discuss the resident’s overall progress within the residency program as well as rotation evaluations, oral examination results and in-service exam results.

The American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) is administered annually to each resident. The results of this examination are used to identify areas of weakness and need for further study. Although the examination is compulsory, the results of the examination are not used as a requirement for progression within the residency program.

The Program
Resident input concerning the curriculum and the teaching staff is welcome on an informal basis at all times and may be shared with the Program Director. In addition, each resident annually completes a detailed questionnaire evaluating the curriculum, the conference schedule, the examination and evaluation procedures of the program, and the individual rotations at Swedish, Harborview and Children’s. In addition, each attending surgeon is evaluated by the individual residents with whom he or she has worked with numerical ratings for the effectiveness of teaching, directness of communication, and resident participation and responsibility, as well as the attending’s feedback to the residents. There is a section for open-ended commentary also. This evaluation is compiled in a confidential manner so that the Program Director and attending staff do not know the source of individual grades or comments. The evaluation is utilized by the Program Director and Surgery Residency Advisory Committee to determine the composition of the surgical attending staff and to modify other components of the residency program.

The General Surgery Residency Training Program is monitored by the Graduate Medical Education Committee of Swedish Medical Center. This committee meets quarterly and reviews ongoing events and changes within the surgical residency program. In addition, a formal written report is presented to this committee annually for approval by the committee. This report and other ongoing events within the Surgery Residency Program are presented to the Department of Surgery and the Surgery Residency Advisory Committee.

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