From Final Evaluation to Future Faculty: Reimagining the End of Residency

Every June, as graduation photos are snapped and farewell speeches delivered, a quiet but crucial moment arrives: the final evaluation.

Most programs check the boxes-milestones reviewed, competencies confirmed, paperwork signed.
But what if the final evaluation wasn’t the end of something?
What if it was the beginning?

Because here’s the truth: many residents aren’t just graduating.
They are stepping into new roles-as attendings, leaders, and faculty.
And yet, we rarely treat that transition with the weight it deserves.

The Missed Moment

In most programs, the end-of-training evaluation is seen as a closing chapter.
But for programs focused on faculty retention, leadership development, or academic career pathways, this moment hold untapped potential.

Residents-especially those staying on or entering academic medicine-deserve more than a checklist. They deserve a launchpad.

Reimagining the Final ILP

What if we used the final evaluation, the accompanying ILP and milestone summary- not just to close a chapter-but to open the next one?

What if these tools became a strategic blueprint.
One that not only reflects the resident’s progress, but also maps their potential as a future faculty member.

Here’s what that might include:
🔹 Leadership Style: Have they shown initiative in QI projects? Team management? Peer mentoring?
🔹 Teaching Strengths: Did they shine during didactics? Bedside teaching? Feedback sessions?
🔹 Scholarly Identity: What topics light them up? How can we align those interests with department goals?
🔹 Growth Edges: Where will they need mentorship as they transition from peer to supervisor?

This isn’t about perfection.
It’s about possibility- and building a bridge into the next phase of their professional identity.

Turning Evaluations Into Faculty Onboarding

Final evaluations and ILPs can become the first page of a Resident’s faculty development portfolio.

Imagine this:

“You’ve excelled in procedural teaching. Would you like to co-lead intern simulation next year?”
“Your feedback style is thoughtful and clear—how can we support you in becoming a coach for junior residents?”
“Your equity project made a huge impact—have you thought about presenting it regionally or writing it up?”

These aren’t just nice conversations.
They’re acts of institutional imagination.
They say, “We see you not just as a former resident—but as a future leader.”

The Lifecycle Lens

Faculty development shouldn’t start at orientation—it should begin in residency.
By using lifecycle thinking, we prepare residents for their next identity, not just celebrate the one they’re leaving.

Ask yourself:

• Are we tracking not just what residents did, but what they’re ready to do next?

• Can we invite residents into a mindset of career design, not just compliance?

• What structures do we have to catch and cultivate that transition?

Final Thought

Residency isn’t a terminal station.
It’s a threshold.

When we treat the final evaluation as a doorway to deeper development—not just a sign-off—we reshape the culture of academic medicine.

Let’s start designing transitions that don’t just graduate great residents…
But grow great faculty.

👉🏽 Next week, I’ll share a downloadable reflection template for faculty to use in final ILP meetings. Want it in your inbox?