The Department of Medicine coordinates the Scholars in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Program each year. The purpose of the program is to provide a solid background in quality improvement principles that will serve as a foundation for those interested in incorporating quality as a component of an academic career.

The Scholars in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (SQIPS) Program is open to faculty physicians, subspecialty fellows, and APPs in any department. The program will focus on core content in quality improvement with aspects of patient safety, teaching and coaching skills, as well as dissemination of quality improvement work. It is a seven-month blended curriculum incorporating online modules with face-to-face eLearning.

The group learning component is composed of six half-day sessions held monthly on the fourth Monday afternoon (1:00 – 5:00 p.m.) from October through April. The program concludes in May with a poster session, allowing the participants to share their final projects with each other and invited guests. An important component of the program is the development of a quality improvement project incorporating learners (students, residents, and/or fellows) in the improvement team. This will serve as an opportunity for active coaching for participants in their roles as team leaders. Each participant should expect to have 2-3 hours of work outside of the classroom component each month. This does not include time spent on your quality improvement project, which will vary depending on the actual project.

A call for applications is typically sent out in August. The application consists of the following materials:

• Brief letter describing why you are interested and a potential project idea
• A copy of your current CV
• A letter of support from your department chair or division chief describing why you would be an appropriate candidate and confirming that you will be free from clinical responsibilities on the six Monday sessions.