Evaluating Post-Graduate Curricula for Emerging Professionals: A Case Study of the National Library of Medicine's Associate Fellowship Program

Abstract

The Associate Fellowship Program (AFP) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), a post-graduate training residency for early career librarians, incorporates a curriculum component introducing participants to the operational areas of the NLM. Recent organizational shifts catalyzed a curriculum evaluation to examine its alignment with the mission of the AFP and the NLM. This article outlines the evaluation process and offers recommendations on designing post-graduate curricula to serve the needs of emerging professionals. Furthermore, this study highlights one way in which professional standards can be incorporated into institutional training and orientation programs to further both individual and organizational professional development goals.