Shaping Collaboration Among YSM Fellowship Coordinators

When Tracy Crosby, clinical operations manager, began coordinating the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) endocrinology fellowship in 2008, she was brand new to the world of graduate medical education.

“When I took this job on, I didn’t even know what a fellow was,” she recalls.

Fast forward to today, and Crosby has become a leader among leaders — known by her colleagues not only for keeping a complex program running but also creating a model of collaboration that has reshaped how fellowship coordinators work together across YSM.

Her official title only hints at the scope of her responsibilities. In the Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Crosby manages everything from recruitment and evaluations of fellows to compliance with accreditation standards. But she also saw early on that no one coordinator could — or should — navigate the maze of regulations, platforms, and program demands alone.

“Each of us had questions, and there wasn’t always a clear place to turn,” she says. “So, I thought: Why not learn from each other?”

In 2015, she invited colleagues from across the Department of Internal Medicine to form an informal network. What started as a handful of fellowship coordinators has grown into a vibrant team of 10–12 members, trading advice monthly on everything from scheduling fellow interviews to managing changes to onboarding credentialing requirements.

“The dynamic part comes from the way we support each other regularly,” Crosby explains. “You know that if you send an email or hop on Zoom with a problem, you’re going to get help.”

That spirit of mutual problem-solving proved essential in 2020, when COVID-19 forced fellowship programs to reimagine recruitment overnight. Instead of facing the shift to virtual interviews alone, the group of YSM fellowship coordinators rehearsed the new systems together, running mock sessions until they got it right.

“It was one of those moments when you realize how powerful it is to have a team you can lean on,” Crosby says.

For Crosby, building a dynamic team is about more than efficiency — it’s about trust, humility, and empowerment. She emphasizes the importance of admitting what you don’t know, listening to all voices, and encouraging colleagues to recognize their own strengths.

“It’s easy to underestimate yourself in this work,” she says. “I try to show people that they already have what it takes.”

Crosby’s leadership has gained national attention. This year, Crosby and peers from the University of Pennsylvania and Southern Illinois University co-authored a proposal on coordinator teams that was selected for presentation at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Annual Educational Conference. The annual meeting brings together thousands of coordinators and educators from across the country to share best practices and new ideas.

Yet when asked about her proudest moments, Crosby points back to the support of her colleagues. She remembers a storm years ago that stranded her co-presenter before a major conference. Left to present alone, Crosby looked out and saw a table full of Yale coordinators who had rearranged their schedules to be there.

“That’s what coordinators do — we show up for each other,” Crosby says.

For Crosby, that’s the heart of her work: creating a professional home where coordinators feel safe to ask questions, share ideas, and stand together.

“It’s a place where you’re not alone,” she reflects. “And when program coordinators are stronger, our trainees and our programs are stronger too.”

Endocrinology and Metabolism, one of 10 sections in the Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, improves the health of individuals with endocrine and metabolic diseases by advancing scientific knowledge, applying new information to patient care, and training the next generation of physicians and scientists to become leaders in the field. To learn more, visit Endocrinology and Metabolism.