SU‐FF‐E‐01: Management of a CAMPEP‐Accredited Physics Residency Program Using a Commercial Software and Database Tool and Utilizing Its Potential to Facilitate Formation of Distributed & Affiliated Residency Programs

Abstract

Purpose: A review of commercially available allied health educational management software tools led to a decision to purchase the Typhon Group Allied Health Student Tracking Module for the CAMPEP‐accredited Therapy Program at the University of Louisville. Advantages of the Typhon Group software include a) didactic course reporting and organization, b) competency reporting by topic, category and didactic course, c) student time management and reporting, d) student patient case reporting by topic, category and course. Method and Materials: The software includes the facility for recording school administrative information, setting up lists of courses, faculty, clinical sites, categories, competencies, time logs, and the inclusion of standardized external documents. There are facilities for creating evaluation and survey instruments for completion both by residents (of mentors and program) and by faculty (of students). Competency documentation includes the time spent on the problem (or with the patient), time spent with the mentor, date of the competency, and approval by the mentor and program director. Course documentation includes course and lecture title, lecturer, topic information, date of lecture and approval by the Program Director. Results: The software has been used to document 520 hours of clinical conference logs and over 70 completed competencies by one resident over the course of one year. The software has the facility to include multiple clinical sites, with local sub‐administrators having the ability to approve competencies and attendance at clinical conferences. The Typhon Group Software therefore has the capability to manage CAMPEP‐accredited residency programs or the residency portion of a CAMPEP‐accredited DMP Program. Conclusion: The Web‐based database lends the software to the support of distributed or affiliated clinical sites within a single residency program. Such tools are a critical and necessary component if the medical physics profession is to meet the projected needs for qualified medical physicists in future years.