Exploring the Value of Residency/Fellowship Education: StakeholdersÕ Views on Why Residency/Fellowship Education Matters
Residency/Fellowship (R/F) education continues to expand, but the value is still not well understood. Despite graduating around 10,000 doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students each year for the last 3 years,Êthere were only 1,728 unique R/F education applications in the 2016-2017 admissions cycle. Graduates considering R/F education often face significant student debt, limited R/F program options, and a highly competitive admissions process. Potential developing R/F programs often face an uphill struggle in convincing academic or clinical leadership of the value of operating R/F programs. The lack of data on R/F outcomes poses a challenge to claims that R/F education is worth the investment. Stakeholders at all levels (students, academic faculty, academic and clinical organization leaders, and health care policy makers) must identify what elements contribute toÊR/F education as an important value-added proposition. This session will bring together a panel of stakeholders representing R/F graduates, faculty, and leaders from academic and clinical organizations involved in R/F training to engage in systems-level discussion and analysis of the value of R/F education in the profession. This discussion will help identify opportunities for developing resources and research that helps demonstrate and communicate the value of R/F to a variety of stakeholders.