Enriching professional development experiences are a constant practice of informed, growth-minded professionals. And, because of the educational focus in academia, professional development has a unique significance in university clinics. Since universities train future doctors of audiology who will practice for the next three decades or more, universities must be current, forward-looking and knowledgeable about the practice of audiology and related areas of expertise.
Building Your Team and Creating Efficiencies Within the Clinic
From reception staff to your audiology assistants and clinicians, all clinic staff benefit from professional development. To provide valuable professional development opportunities to your team you must first identify the areas for improvement and determine the areas in which they are currently excelling. This can be done using mystery shopping or having discussions with your team. After these are identified, Fuel will examine all aspects of your clinic and create a comprehensive, customized training platform that will become the foundation for your clinic’s growth.
Providing this training helps to hone staffs’ professional skills necessary to a high-quality university clinic. A series of training courses to improve the patient experience is available to benefit the entire clinic faculty, staff and students.
Continuing the Education of Clinic Staff
While clinicians are required to earn continuing education credits, many university clinicians realize they need to know more than what is offered at professional meetings. One way to help with this issue is to attend the annual Fuel Your Future Symposium because they provide practical courses not found elsewhere. The Fuel Symposium curriculum is chosen based on the needs of Fuel clients and feedback from their members.
The Need for Business Education
For historical reasons, many university Au.D. programs don’t have faculty with business training and are not able to provide the essential business education necessary for students who envision themselves as future private practice owners and clinic directors. Some universities operate “free clinics” that do a fantastic job for the community but offer few solid business practices for the students to experience and learn. Fuel’s university clients benefit from Fuel’s willingness to share their business expertise with students, faculty and staff.
At your request, Fuel’s staff will provide lectures on needed business topics, such as:
- An update on the ever-changing hearing industry
- The importance of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and how to understand them and their use to improve the clinic
- Marketing clinical services to the public and the medical community
As former students win promotions to clinic director positions or open their own practices, Fuel has A Pocket Guide to Success: All the Things You Didn’t Learn in Graduate School, which covers seven skills that most audiologists need to succeed in their role as manager or director of a clinic but were not taught in graduate school. Included in the Pocket Guide are: Being an Effective Manager, Hiring the Right People, Creating and Executing a Strategic Plan, Orchestrating an Engaging Patient Experience and more.
Conclusion
A university clinic with a well thought out and well executed professional development plan for clinicians and staff is more productive and operates smoother than clinics without a plan. Creating and executing the plan also provides a first-rate role model and experience for Au.D. students.
To arrange for a comprehensive exam of your clinic and creation of a customized training platform, contact your Fuel regional manager or account manager. They can also provide details of professional development courses Fuel can offer you and your students, and they can arrange for your former students to obtain A Pocket Guide to Success. If you are not a Fuel member yet, contact us today at contact@fuelmedical.com or call (360) 210-5658.
