SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis 

SWOT analysis, which focuses on programs' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, will help ensure our educational programs improve continously.

• Strengths and Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

Strengths and Weaknesses are internal to the program

• The APE assists programs in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the program. The identified weaknesses require corrective action plans (APE Section 6).
• Successive APEs tell the program story across time and are used to identify strengths/weakness of the program and success of corrective actions (APE Sections 1 and 6).
• Strengths and Weaknesses are not reported in the Self-Study but are discussed during the site visit.

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Opportunities are external to the program

• These are determined based on information gathered during the APE/Self-Study.
• Opportunities are external to the program (consider both for current program and for Aims). They are factors beyond the immediate control of the program that, if acted on, would contribute to the program's success.
• These may be either explored and unable to act upon or not yet explored.

Questions

1. What are those opportunities that would enhance the current program and assist in meeting our Aims?
2. What are the obstacles to taking advantage of the opportunities?
3. How could we take advantage of the unrealized opportunities?

Examples of Unrealized Opportunities

1. Relationship with Federally Qualified Health Center to start new primary-care track
2. Assessment or enhancement of relationships with other departments such as comprehensive cross-specialty patient safety initiative
3. Care for a socioeconomically disadvantaged population by developing curriculum in socioeconomic determinants of health
4. New educational technology

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Threats are external to the program

• These are determined based on information gathered during the APE/Self-Study.
• Threats are external to the program (consider both for current program and for Aims). They are factors beyond the immediate control of the program that are real or potential threats.

Questions

1. What are those threats which are either endangering the success of the program or would keep the program from reaching identified Aims?
2. What are the obstacles to reducing the threats?
3. What actions can be taken to mitigate the effects of the threats?

Examples of Threats

1. Reduction in federal support for GME
2. Loss of key faculty members
3. Loss of clinical learning sites that provide access to special populations
4. Clinical burden of faculty (affects time and energy for teaching and supervision)

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