Fellow performance is monitored carefully throughout each year of fellowship training to ensure that learning objectives have been achieved and to provide regular feedback regarding strengths and areas for improvement. You are evaluated formally by your supervising faculty members during each clinical rotation. Different formal and informal assessment tools are used, some of which are described below: 

• The In-Training Assessment Report (ITAR) is a foundation assessment tool used in our program. ITARs are regularly completed for all of our Fellows using the same evaluation methods and performance expectations, as outlined in our discipline’s specialty training requirements.
• Competence by Design (CBD) is the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s major change initiative to reform the training of medical specialists in Canada. The University of Calgary Neuroradiology Residency program transited to CBD learning on July 01, 2024. Core to CBD is the use of frequent low-stakes workplace-based assessments. The entrustable professional activity (EPA) is a key task of a discipline that an individual can be trusted to perform in a given health care context, once sufficient competence has been demonstrated. EPAs are meant to stimulate the direct observations and informative feedback used to identify and address learning gaps. In theory, EPAs provide a practical means of observing and documenting a learner’s acquisition of competence by collecting assessments of clearly defined skills and abilities that learner’s must acquire at various stages in their training.

Refer to the Royal College website to learn more about Competence by Design and Entrustable Professional Activities for Neuroradiology, 2024, version 1.0.

For Clinical Fellows (i.e., IMGs) in our program, it is important to note that they will perform the same key tasks of a discipline and achieve the same competence as Resident Physicians although, for the time being, their assessment and progress is recorded using In-Training Assessment Reports (ITARs) only.

• Multisource feedback on trainee performance is also received from different sources.
• The Calgary Neuroradiology Program’s popular Case of the Week (COW) is a great way to check out interesting and educational cases. It is a friendly competition within the Fellowship cohort with a fun and new challenge each week. Unknown cases are posted to the Fellow’s AHS email inboxes. Cases are chosen from our local practice experience and include a spectrum of topics across brain, spine, and head and neck using all imaging modalities.
• Our program provides electronic platform-based educational material for our Fellows to complete as a form of self-directed remote, or distance learning throughout their training. It is also a friendly competition within the Fellow cohort that includes new challenging cases each month. The Learning Cases include select images and Short Answer Questions (SAQ) and/or Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ). These cases have been prepared to reflect a spectrum of topics across brain, spine, and head and neck imaging and intervention that are encountered during our program’s rotations. Non-interpretive SAQ/MCQ Learning Cases are included as well. Fellows will have one month to review each new series (3-4) of Learning Cases, do some focused reading, and complete the SAQ/MCQ questions. An open-book format of learning is encouraged.
• The University of Calgary Neuroradiology Program curriculum includes a practice written examination that is scheduled near the end of each academic year. The purpose of the examination is to assess the candidate’s clinical competence and readiness to enter clinical practice. It is also meant to help prepare those Fellows who are writing the Royal College certification examination.
• Each Fellow will have an informal meeting with the Program Director every six (6) months to review their progress. The Fellow will receive in-person feedback on their performance, and discussion and advice on how to meet the training objectives. This meeting is also a safe haven in which Fellow concerns can be raised in a confidential manner.
• Fellows also regularly evaluate our faculty members to ensure that your educational needs are being met.