STACERs

We will now use only these evaluation forms at the University of Toronto.

• STACER Assessment Form (for Practice, General, and Exit STACERs)
• STACER Feedback Form
• Exit STACER Procedures - July 2017
• General STACER Procedures

PGY-4 STACER

•    There are two Examiners (or “Assessors”) who are not current supervisors of the resident during the current rotation or last rotation.
•    The patient is unknown to the Resident and the two Examiners.
•    The resident interviews the patient for 50 minutes.
•    At 50 minutes the Examiners announce the time: “50 minutes”.
•    The resident should start ending the interview as soon as possible but has until 55 minutes.
•    At 55 minutes, if the resident is still interviewing, the Examiners will terminate the interview 
•    by saying “We will have to end the interview at this time.” The patient should then leave (and if necessary be escorted back to the inpatient unit).
•    The Examiners then both leave the room until the 60-minute mark of the exam. 
•    The Examiners return to the room at 60 minutes and prompt the resident to make their presentation with the following prompts: 
   1. “Please present your summary of this patient’s history.”
   2. “Please present the patient’s mental status examination.”
   3. “Please present your diagnostic impression, including your differential diagnosis.”
   4. “Please present your formulation of this patient.”
   5. “Please present your management plan for this patient if you were to take over their care.”
•    At 20 minutes, the examiners announce “20 minutes” – no additional warnings are provided.
•    If the resident has not concluded the presentation section by 25 minutes, the examiners will terminate the presentation section by saying “We will have to end the presentation section at this time.” The examiners will then proceed to ask questions.
•    The Examiner questions must end no later than 1 hour and 45 minutes after the exam commenced (45 minutes after the presentation section commenced).
•    The Examiners should then ask the resident to wait outside while they confer together. The Examiners should reach a consensus about whether the resident’s observed performance Meets Expectations or Does Not Meet Expectations. 
•    To pass the Exit STACER, the resident must perform at the level of a competent general psychiatrist in a community practice.
•    The Examiners should then invite the resident back into the room and provide the resident with direct feedback about their performance.

The resident must pass 2 different STACERs but has no limit to the number of attempts they can make.

PGY-2 STACER

•    There are two Examiners (or “Assessors”) who are not current supervisors of the resident during the current rotation or last rotation.
•    The patient is unknown to the Resident and the two Examiners.
•    The resident interviews the patient for 50 minutes.
•    At 50 minutes the Examiners announce the time: “50 minutes”.
•    The resident should start ending the interview as soon as possible but has until 55 minutes.
•    At 55 minutes, if the resident is still interviewing, the Examiners will terminate the interview 
•    by saying “We will have to end the interview at this time.” The patient should then leave (and if necessary be escorted back to the inpatient unit).
•    The Examiners then both leave the room until the 60-minute mark of the exam. 
•    The Examiners return to the room at 60 minutes and prompt the resident to make their presentation with the following prompts: 
   1. “Please present your summary of this patient’s history.”
   2. “Please present the patient’s mental status examination.”
   3. “Please present your diagnostic impression, including your differential diagnosis.”
   4. “Please present your formulation of this patient.”
   5. “Please present your management plan for this patient if you were to take over their care.”
•    At 20 minutes, the examiners announce “20 minutes” – no additional warnings are provided.
•    If the resident has not concluded the presentation section by 25 minutes, the examiners will terminate the presentation section by saying “We will have to end the presentation section at this time.” The examiners will then proceed to ask questions.
•    The Examiner questions must end no later than 1 hour and 45 minutes after the exam commenced (45 minutes after the presentation section commenced).
•    The Examiners should then ask the resident to wait outside while they confer together. The Examiners should reach a consensus about whether the resident’s observed performance Meets Expectations or Does Not Meet Expectations. 
•    To pass the Exit STACER, the resident must perform at the level of a competent general psychiatrist in a community practice.

STACER Schedule:

STACER Clarification

We have received a number of questions about the program's STACER requirements. Please find clarification of the STACER plan below. Please be aware that we have debated these details at length at PRPC. Our aim has been to:
 
a) meet Royal College requirements
b) maximize educational value
c) minimize burden to residents and faculty
d) reduce redundancy where ever possible.
 
Outline of STACER plan
 
1) There will no longer be a requirement for either a child or a geriatric STACER.
2) All PGY2s must successfully complete a "jr. STACER" (Royal College requirement)
3) All PGY4/5 residents must successfully complete 2 "exit STACERs" (Royal College requirement).
4) Practice STACERs will continue to be mandatory at a rate of one every 2 months (i.e. 6 per year, this is unchanged)
5) No practice STACERs will be standardly offered during the child rotation as most child sites do not have easy access to an adult patient population. These do not need to be "made up" rather residents will have 2 fewer practice STACERs during their PGY2 year.
6) No practice STACERs need to be completed after the exit STACERs have been successfully completed.
7) Any resident who wishes additional practice beyond what has been detailed above, can always request some support from their local site Director. 
8) We are currently working to minimize paperwork for STACERs and EPAs. For the time being, the paperwork/evaluation structure remains the same. We will be in touch with those details as they become available.
 
Please don't hesitate to contact us at psych.stacer@utoronto.ca. if you have any questions or concerns.