Administrative Fellowship Program FAQs

How are rotations and fellows matched?

The Administrative Fellowship Program is designed to meet long-term organizational staff needs. When setting up rotations, the primary consideration is the program goals; secondary are immediate organizational needs and opportunities at a given time. When these have been clearly identified, a match is made with an individual administrative fellow according to his or her capabilities, interests, and need for development.

Can administrative fellows influence the rotation decisions?

Each administrative fellow knows up front that some core experiences and competencies are part of the program expectations. Within those core experiences and in "elective" rotations, administrative fellows are encouraged to develop the diverse and individual strengths for which they were hired and to explore the many facets of administrative work at Mayo. If an administrative fellow has a strong interest in a given area, every effort is made to provide an experience in that area. At the same time, the administrative fellow is expected to be flexible and responsive to organizational needs and opportunities.

Administrative fellows are asked during rotation planning discussions to think about the "package" of experiences they would like to have at the end of two years to make them a viable and attractive candidate for positions that appeal to them.

What core experiences have been identified for administrative fellows?

Five rotations or exposures have been identified as "standard":

• Administrative Services
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Research or Education
• Systems and Procedures

In addition, an effort is made to give each administrative fellow an experience of Mayo from another perspective than their base site. This is typically achieved through a rotation in Jacksonville, Arizona, or Rochester or a regional practice.

Since rotations are typically three months long, this leaves two or three "elective" rotations.

Through rotations over the two-year program, the following primary administrative exposures are sought:

• Operational planning
• Hospital operations
• Clinic operations
• Employment process
• Working with a secretary
• Working with physicians
• Committee work/attendance
• Minute taking/committee secretary
• Coaching employees for development
• Directing the work of others
• Role of Information Technology
• Mayo Model of Care

What are the job expectations of administrative fellows?

See job description (PDF) for administrative fellows. Administrative fellows should develop the same core competencies as other administrative staff.

Can an administrative area be "guaranteed" an administrative fellow when needed?

Sometimes. Although administrative fellows can't fill long-term staffing needs, they can fill short-term role assignments (e.g., covering for parenting and medical leaves) or critical project assignments, particularly when there is advance notice. It depends on the need, who is available during that time, and whether the available fellows has the minimum skills necessary to meet the need.

How do administrative work areas express interest in having a fellow assigned?

The administrative leader or group contacts the site coordinator with a written description of the need and/or the general experiences and opportunities available. These are then shared with the administrative fellow during rotation discussions. If there seems to be a good match, all three begin exploring how and when to set up a rotation.

What other elements are considered when setting up rotations?

Generally, it's important that two administrative fellows are not in a small area at the same time. Often that results in watered-down project challenges and space issues. It also can impede the individual identity-building efforts of an administrative fellow as he or she moves out of the "one of the AFP fellows" mode.

The most successful match occurs when both the administrative fellow and the work area are mutually interested in working together.