Never too early to start thinking.
Some advice for applicants this cycle - these are some questions that I never would have thought of but find it relevant now since covid.
While the pandemic will likely be over when this batch of new fellows start in July 2022 (fingers crossed) I think how an institution responded to covid and treated its trainees speaks volumes about how much trainees are valued. If I were applying now - these are questions that I would want to find out about my programs, either directly asking or more covert ways.
1) How safe did you feel working as a fellow in your program?
2) Were there adequate PPE provided during the early months of the pandemic?
3) What were the accommodations made for remote work? (Did fellows work from home, or did they come in for unnecessary things such as outpatient, meetings, didactics)
4) Have there been any major changes in the faculty of the program during covid (ex: did many older faculty retire or quit, were there many younger faculty who left for other institutions due to burnout, etc)
5) How did your program respond to changes in volume, were fellows asked to pull double shifts on call, cover for ancillary staff, had their vacations revoked, etc?
6) How did your program overall support you during these months
I'm sure there's more but here's a start!
