Program Directors’ Varied Conceptions of Practice Readiness

BACKGROUND Residency graduates must be “practice ready” by the time they leave training. This study explored how pediatric residency program directors view their role and responsibility in determining practice readiness and examined how characterizations of practice readiness differ based upon residents’ intended career trajectories. METHODS The authors conducted a constructivist grounded theory study, purposively and theoretically sampling 15 pediatric program directors to explore their experiences determining resident practice readiness. Iterative data collection and analysis continued until sufficient information power was achieved. RESULTS Program director participants described an immense moral responsibility for determining practice readiness and positioned themselves as the central decision makers in these determinations. Participants emphasized their longitudinal knowledge of residents and sense of accountability as shaping their moral responsibility. Participants reported variability in what readiness means. Some believed all graduates should be ready to practice as general pediatricians regardless of future career plans, emphasizing the importance of a strong generalist foundation and the possibility of changing career trajectories. Others defined readiness relative to the specific context residents would enter after graduation, either readiness for the specific general pediatrics context they would be in or readiness for fellowship training. CONCLUSIONS Despite the profound moral responsibility that program directors report in determining practice readiness, there is variation in how they conceptualize “readiness for what?” As the ABP certification process transitions toward Entrustable Professional Activity–based attestations of practice readiness in 2028, clarifying and aligning expectations for practice readiness is critical to ensuring consistent and defensible graduation and certification eligibility decisions.