Browsing by Author "McCallister, Jennifer"

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    Virtually Hosting a National Medical Society Conference. Lessons Learned from the 2020 Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors Conference
    (ATS, 2020-09) Bosslet, Gabriel T.; Carmona, Hugo; Burkart, Kristin M.; McCallister, Jennifer; Reitzner, Joyce; Kreider, Maryl; Lenz, Peter H.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    The coronavirus pandemic forced the Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors to change the 2020 annual conference to a virtual format with relatively short notice. Using the experience of the planning committee and survey feedback from attendees, we describe the steps taken to implement a virtual conference and lessons learned in the process. The lessons described include frequent and concise communication, establishment of roles within a discrete production team, preparing speakers with a protocolized training session, active moderation of the chat box, using interactive polling and online documents to improve interactivity, a shorter agenda with more frequent breaks, encouraging “virtual happy hours” to connect with colleagues, and establishing facilitators for breakout rooms.
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    What Do Program Directors Value in Personal Statements? A Qualitative Analysis
    (American Thoracic Society, 2020-02-21) Hinkle, Laura; Carlos, W. Graham; Burkart, Kristin M.; McCallister, Jennifer; Bosslet, Gabriel; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: All applicants to accredited training programs must write a personal statement as part of the application process. This may provoke anxiety on the part of the applicant and can result in an impersonal product that does not enhance his or her application. Little has been written about what program directors are seeking in personal statements. Objective: To gain a better understanding of how pulmonary and critical care fellowship program directors view and interpret these essays and to help applicants create more effective personal statements and make the writing process less stressful. Methods: We surveyed the membership of the Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors in 2018. Quantitative data were collected regarding the importance of the personal statement in the candidate selection process. Qualitative data exploring the characteristics of personal statements, what the personal statement reveals about applicants, and advice for writing them were also collected. Comparative analysis was used for coding and analysis of qualitative data. Results: Surveys were completed by 114 out of 344 possible respondents (33%). More than half of the respondents believed that the personal statement is at least moderately important when deciding to offer an interview, and 40% believed it is at least moderately important when deciding rank order. A qualitative analysis revealed consistent themes: communication skills, provision of information not found elsewhere, applicant characteristics, and things to avoid. Conclusion: The respondents view the personal statement as moderately important in the application process. They value succinct, quality writing that reveals personal details not noted elsewhere. The information presented may help reduce anxiety associated with writing the personal statement and result in making the personal statement a more meaningful part of the application.