Satisfaction of general versus specialized continuity clinic in hematology oncology fellowship training: A survey.

Abstract

10529 Background: At the University of Florida (UF), oncology fellows participate in two general types of continuity clinic as part of their training. One clinic at the Veterans Hospital (VA) allows them to care for patients in a general clinic setting that encompasses a variety of hematology oncology diagnoses. The other clinic, located at the university site, is disease or system specific (such as breast or GI clinic). Considerable research supports the value of continuity clinic in residency and fellowship training, but the differences in having a general versus specialized clinic for oncology fellows have not been explored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived differences of general versus specialized continuity clinics by recent oncology graduates from UF, and what features of a continuity clinic they feel were most important for an effective and meaningful experience. Methods: An anonymous survey was sent to the last six graduating classes of oncology fellows at UF. The survey contained short demographic questions, followed by five open ended questions pertaining to both continuity clinic experiences. Graduates were asked about their opinions of both the general and specialized clinics during their training at UF. Survey responses were reviewed and coded for common themes. Results: The most common themes that emerged from the surveys were concerning autonomy, supervision, and the diversity of cases and patient population. A majority of respondents felt they had more autonomy and personal responsibility at the VA general clinic, but less direct supervision than at the specialized clinics. They also believed they got a broader exposure of different disease types at the VA general clinic. Surveyed participants also commented on the quality of educational seminars and activities, preceptor expertise and teaching, and ability to observe cutting edge practice and clinical trials. Eleven out of thirty surveys were returned and we anticipate a greater than 50% response for the final poster. Conclusions: Graduated oncology fellows from UF believe that there is a balance that exists between having autonomy and ownership of their patients versus having adequate supervision. Many believe that having “controlled autonomy” and “as much independence as is safe for patients” is key to a meaningful continuity clinic experience during oncology fellowship training.