Longitudinal curriculum to address wellness and professional development in a hematology/oncology fellowship program.

Thejal Srikumar Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT info_outline Thejal Srikumar, Jessica M Stempel, Sarah B. Goldberg, Nikolai Alexandrovich Podoltsev, David A. Braun, Alfred Ian Lee, Tara B. Sanft

Authors Thejal Srikumar Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT info_outline Thejal Srikumar, Jessica M Stempel, Sarah B. Goldberg, Nikolai Alexandrovich Podoltsev, David A. Braun, Alfred Ian Lee, Tara B. Sanft Organizations Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, CT, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, Yale University, New Haven, CT Abstract Disclosures Research Funding No funding sources reported Background: Many trainees, including Hematology/Oncology (HO) fellows, face burnout throughout their training. Here we implemented a longitudinal curriculum to help fellows with a focus on professional development and burnout mitigation skills. Methods: Interventions to address wellness were initiated in our HO fellowship program in academic year (AY) 2022-2023 based on a needs assessment, including faculty-led sessions, fellow debrief sessions, and social activities (data previously reported). In AY 2023-2024, a new baseline needs assessment was distributed to fellows to determine topics of interest for developing a fellowship retreat and for discussion throughout the year. This assessment also included the Mini ReZ survey to evaluate learning environment, the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 to assess for depressed mood, and the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale. Surveys were completed anonymously in person and online and were sent throughout the year (data to be fully analyzed by June 2024). T-test and Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results: 22 out of 27 fellows (81.5%) completed the baseline assessment in July 2023. Topics of interest for further discussion included work-life balance, management of scholarly expectations, and professional boundary setting. A day-long, off-site fellowship retreat was designed to address these concerns, with a specific focus on fellow strengths, leadership skills, boundary setting, and communication. Retreats were divided into senior and first-year fellows. Of the 27 fellows who attended the retreats, 22 responded to post-retreat surveys, with 21 of 22 fellows indicating they found the retreat helpful (95.4%). When asked what the most meaningful part of the retreat was, fellows responded “connection with colleagues,”“sharing what inspires/motivates [them],” and “discussing methods to try and prevent burnout.” Scores of self-efficacy and perception of positive learning environment did not significantly differ before and after retreats, and levels of depression remained low. Additional faculty-led didactic sessions were held including a session titled “Grief and Awe” and another titled “Shame Resilience”, with plan for 2 additional sessions. Evaluations of these sessions are planned for the end of the AY to assess effectiveness. Conclusions: The development of a curriculum to address wellness and professional development, including a fellowship retreat that focused on topics identified by a needs assessment, was found to be helpful among HO fellows. More data must be collected to evaluate the effect of these interventions; final data on the entire experience will be available to report at the annual meeting. This curriculum could serve as a model for other programs and be integrated into ASCO’s array of trainee resources to address HO fellow wellness and professional development skills during training.