Fellowship Program
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of the Fellowship Program?
What is the goal of the Fellowship Program?
How many fellows are recruited each year?
How structured is the Fellowship Program?
How is the preceptor relationship established?
What compensation is accorded fellows?
How does the application/interview process work?
When does the fellowship begin?
How are fellows oriented to Trinity Health?
What opportunities are available with Trinity Health after the fellowship?
What are the benefits of the Fellowship Program?
Trinity Health has created a framework for its Fellowship Program that is both structured and flexible. Key objectives are to match the project work and health care setting with the fellow's interests to provide for a mutually beneficial relationship. Outstanding qualities of the Trinity Health Fellowship Program include:
- Strong commitment from senior management, with two preceptors assigned to each fellow.
- Ample and varied opportunity to interact with and shadow senior management,
- Availability of system and local opportunities.
- Ability to tailor program to fellow's interests, from acute to long-term to managed care.
- Strong desire to retain former fellows for full-time employment.
What is the goal of the Fellowship Program?
The Fellowship Program aims to build future leaders for Trinity Health. As the one-year Fellowship Program draws to a close, retention of fellows is a strong program focus. As such, Trinity Health strives to identify and recruit a talented and diverse pool of health industry management and mission/ethics Masters Program graduates to the Fellowship Program.
How many fellows are recruited each year?
Trinity Health annually recruits a maximum of five graduates (as warranted), at least one of whom is interested in Mission leadership. Specific efforts will be made to recruit interested candidates with a mission and ethics focus.
How structured is the Fellowship Program?
Trinity Health works to tailor each fellowship to meet the learning needs and objectives of the fellow. This may lead to a fellowship that is primarily corporate-focused or primarily field-focused. In either case, there will be the expectation that the fellow is involved to some degree in the "other setting." Additionally, if the fellow has not had significant work experience in an operational setting, a Member or Service Organization will be identified at which the fellow will be expected to spend a minimum of 50 percent of his or her time.
How is the preceptor relationship established?
Trinity Health assigns a senior team member (VP level or above) to serve as primary preceptor to each fellow. The primary preceptor is based at the location where the fellow spends the majority of his or her time. Unique to our program, Trinity also identifies a secondary preceptor for each fellow, at the location where the fellow spends the minority of his or her time. Each secondary preceptor also is a senior team member (VP level or above).
What compensation is accorded fellows?
Trinity Health offers each fellow a competitive salary and benefits package. Optional benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, child care and health care reimbursement accounts, and a compliment of disability and life insurance coverage and retirement benefits. All of these options are selected under a "cafeteria" style benefit plan.
How does the application/interview process work?
Trinity Health receives applications through October 31 of each year. After this date, the field of qualified applicants is screened and narrowed. The remaining candidates are then contacted for on-site interviews at corporate headquarters in Novi, Mich. in early December. These candidates also are invited to a dinner reception to visit with current and former fellows the night before interviews. Interviews are conducted by a small panel of up to four persons, including potential preceptors and other senior executives. Fellowship offers are extended to applicants whose interests match the preceptors' organizational needs and culture.
When does the fellowship begin?
The Trinity Health fellowship begins the last full week of June of each year, unless extenuating circumstances exist. The term of the fellowship is 12 months.
How are fellows oriented to Trinity Health?
Fellows spend their first week at corporate headquarters being oriented to Trinity Health. Afterward, each fellow begins his or her program at a previously identified location (Member Organization, Service Organization, or corporate department). There, the preceptor also orients the fellow to the facility and key organizational contacts. At the beginning of the fellowship, the preceptor works with the fellow to identify the fellow's learning needs, fellowship objectives, and career aspirations. Based on that information, the preceptor and fellow work to develop a learning plan to meet the fellow's needs, as well as those of the organization.
Throughout the fellowship, the preceptor works with the fellow to ensure that the objectives outlined in the learning plan are achieved. He or she also coaches the fellow in various aspects of the fellow's development, ensures that the fellow has exposure to governance and senior team members, and identifies job opportunities for the fellow upon completion of the Fellowship Program. The secondary preceptor also works with the fellow, the primary preceptor, and the VP of Organization Effectiveness and Learning to ensure that the fellow's learning plan is met. The secondary preceptor's focus is to provide insight to related to local or system level experiences (where ever the fellow is spending the least amount of time).
What opportunities are available with Trinity Health after the fellowship?
Since retention is a key goal, fellows meet with the VP of Organization Effectiveness and Learning to ascertain career interests after the program's first three months. This information is then communicated to the Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) throughout Trinity Health. On a quarterly basis thereafter, the fellow meets with the VP of Organization Effectiveness and Learning to verify interests, geographic preferences, and performance strengths. These updates also are distributed system-wide to the CHROs. Beginning in the ninth month, the VP of Organization Effectiveness and Learning works actively with system CHROs and CEOs to identify employment opportunities for each fellow within Trinity Health