Table 2.
Responses of the 42 Graduates of the VA Women’s Health Fellowship (VAWHF) Program to Survey Items About Career Outcomes, Mentoring, and Adequacy of Fellowship Training
| Item | Response * † | Mean Agreement Score ‡ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number (%) Who Disagree | Number (%) Who Agree | Number (%) Who Strongly Agree | ||
| Career outcomes | ||||
| Completing the VAWHF improved my career prospects (n = 40) | 0 (0) | 10 (25) | 30 (75) | 86 |
| I was more competitive for career positions as a result of completing the VAWHF (n = 38) | 1 (3) | 12 (32) | 25 (66) | 85 |
| I feel better trained than peers in academic medicine as a result of completing the VAWHF (n = 37) | 2 (5) | 14 (38) | 21 (57) | 78 |
| I am happy in my current career position (n = 40) | 2 (5) | 7 (18) | 31 (78) | 84 |
| I have encouraged others to apply for a VAWHF (n = 34) | 5 (15) | 4 (12) | 25 (74) | 81 |
| It was easy to find a position that matched my career goals (n = 40) | 5 (13) | 15 (38) | 20 (50) | 73 |
| Mentoring | ||||
| I was adequately mentored during my VAWHF (n = 38) | 3 (8) | 9 (24) | 26 (68) | 81 |
| It was easy for me to identify research mentors (n = 36) | 4 (11) | 12 (33) | 20 (56) | 79 |
| It was easy for me to identify career mentors (n = 39) | 7 (18) | 10 (26) | 22 (56) | 73 |
| Education skills: The VAWHF improved my ability to… | ||||
| Teach in small-group settings (n = 38) | 5 (13) | 15 (39) | 18 (47) | 73 |
| Give lectures (n = 39) | 5 (13) | 14 (36) | 20 (51) | 72 |
| Teach physical examination (n = 38) | 8 (21) | 22 (58) | 8 (21) | 60 |
| Write test questions (n = 30) | 14 (47) | 8 (27) | 8 (27) | 51 |
| Research skills: The VAWHF improved my ability to… | ||||
| Statistically evaluate data (n = 39) | 2 (5) | 11 (28) | 26 (67) | 82 |
| Interpret evidence-based medicine (n = 38) | 2 (5) | 8 (21) | 28 (74) | 81 |
| Present at national meetings (n = 39) | 4 (10) | 10 (26) | 25 (64) | 80 |
| Publish research articles (n = 38) | 4 (11) | 8 (21) | 26 (68) | 80 |
| Devise comprehensive research projects (n = 39) | 5 (13) | 11 (28) | 23 (59) | 75 |
| Apply for research grants (n = 39) | 8 (21) | 12 (31) | 19 (49) | 69 |
| Career development skills: The VAWHF improved my ability to… | ||||
| Mentor peers, junior faculty, residents, and students (n = 35) | 3 (9) | 12 (34) | 20 (57) | 76 |
| Write letters of recommendation (n = 34) | 7 (21) | 13 (38) | 14 (41) | 68 |
| Negotiate job contracts effectively (n = 38) | 17 (45) | 14 (37) | 7 (18) | 51 |
*Survey participants were asked to assign scores from 0 to 100 on a slide-rule scale, with 0 indicating “strongly disagree” and 100 indicating “strongly agree.” Scores were categorized as follows: disagree (< 50), agree (50–75), and strongly agree (76–100)
†Because of rounding, percentages may not total 100
‡The mean score was derived from numerical scores ranging from 0 to 100