A backup sponsor is a role filled by your Clinical Distinction Course Director. As Backup Sponsor, they can

• Approve your plan so you can file a rotation request form
• Approve your contract so you can start your project
• Continue to advise you as a course director.

In the worst case scenario, which is you never get a real sponsor, they will evaluate your work. Meaning it’s a commitment to you and so you need to know what you are asking and sometimes they might say no!

Here’s your to-do list of responsibilities:

• Have a good plan in place for your course design when you ask your Course Director to be your backup sponsor
• Have a plan for who might be your real sponsor
• Have a plan for how and when you might get that real sponsor
• Follow up with your backup sponsor to let them know how your progress is going on getting a real sponsor, and on your project, if you’ve started it.
• Save the email with your PROVISIONALLY approved contract that you receive when your backup sponsor approves your contract.
• Update that form by clicking the link, changing the name of the sponsor, the email of the sponsor, and any other parts of your plan that need changing to work with your new/real sponsor.
• Send the form and make sure that real contract gets approved by your real sponsor.

Your course director can guide you on any of these steps if you have questions, but Clinical Distinction is learner-directed. It’s up to you to take on this process! The more you understand about Clinical Distinction, and the more you take the reigns on making your course successful, the better you will do – in the course and in the process of applying for residency.