1. Fitness Reports in 30 Minutes
Joel M. Schofer, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAEM
CDR, MC, USN
Emergency Medicine Specialty Leader

2. MCCareer.org

3. Fitrep Prep Document

4. Track Your Accomplishments

5. Reporting Senior’s Cumulative Average (RSCA)
Look at a Performance Summary Record
Yours
A friend who received a fitrep in the same rank
Ask
Your chain of command
Fitrep coordinator
Reporting Senior – they can look it up on BOL

6. Performance Summary Report
INDIVIDUAL TRAIT
AVERAGE
SUMMARY GROUP
TRAIT AVERAGE
REPORTING SENIOR
CUMULATIVE AVERAGE
All officers of that grade (regardless of designator) that the reporting senior has rated.

7. Block 29 Primary Duty Box

8. Blocks 33-39 – Your Trait Average
Block 33 – Professional Expertise
Board eligible – 4.0
Board certified – 5.0
Block 38 – Leadership – Give yourself a 5.0!
Block 39 – Tactical Performance - NOB
Blocks – Balance out so you are above the RSCA!

9. Blocks – Final Review
Do not decrease in any of these blocks unless:
You were selected for promotion
You were promoted
Your reporting senior or command changed
Even if you are in one of the above situations, still try not to decrease in any blocks
If you have any doubt of your marks, round up!

10. Block 40 – Career Milestones
1-2 career recommendations
Consistent with your rank
Reflective of your desired career path
What are the next 1-2 positions you want to get that would advance your career?
Do not enter very long-range goals (e.g., do not recommend yourself for XO when you are a LT)

11. Block 41 – The Narrative

12. “The Tank”
Not a real board

13. Make Fitreps Easy to Read
Short opening statement with soft breakout or forced distribution statement (if applicable)
White space
Bullet
Closing statement with promotion/command recommendation

14. Soft Breakout
Statement that ranks you against a larger group than your official competitive group
My number #1 LCDR out of 25 of all designators.
#3 of 15 LCDRs regardless of designator.
In the top 10% of over 200 LCDRs I’ve rated across all designators.
#1 of 17 hand-picked officers on my staff.

15. Forced Distribution Statement
Useful when you don’t get the EP
My #1 MP, would have been EP but ranked against highly competitive senior officers.
Would have been an EP but ranked against the Director for Medical Services.
If not for forced distribution...

16. Block 41 Content Space is limited Always write in the past tense
Don’t repeat block 29
Don’t mention your name
Always write in the past tense
Don’t use medical abbreviations without explaining them
Every board has a line officer on it
Don’t repeat bullets from your last fitrep
Quantify whenever you can
Use language from the convening order

17. Closing Statement
End with a recommendation for the next promotion and assignment/position
If you are in-zone for O6, you should try to include a command recommendation
Reporting senior may have a standard closing
EPs get the “strongest recommendation” for promotion
MPs get a “strong recommendation”
Ps get a “recommendation” for promotion

18. Block 42 – Individual Promotion Recommendation
In general, you’ll be NOB if you are at the command < 90 days
Give yourself at least one higher grade than you think you deserve!
Give yourself an EP if you are the only officer getting a fitrep in your competitive category
Do not downgrade yourself from your last fitrep
Make sure you “break out to the right” and don’t “move to the left” on your PSR

19. “Breaking Out to the Right”

20. “Moving to the Left”

21. Air Bubble?
DUINS

22. When “Moving to the Left” is OK
You get promoted
You change competitive categories, like when you graduate from residency and stay at your training institution
You move to a new command or get a new reporting senior

23. Final Review - Critical Fitrep Mistakes
Not getting an EP when you are 1/1 (air bubble)
Explain in block 41 if that is the CO’s policy
No one getting the EP
Moving to the left without an acceptable reason
Not getting a 5.0 in Leadership
Giving yourself a lower trait average than the reporting senior’s average

24. MCCareer.org

25. Fitrep Prep Document

26. Questions?