Fighting for a new program coordinator job description
Yesterday was the day that we coordinators look forward to each year. . . our annual performance evaluation with our supervisors. During this meeting, coordinators have the opportunity to list all of the projects we accomplished over the previous year and describe what we do on a day-to-day basis.
Although showing off my successes is satisfying, performance evaluations are also frustrating. They’re an in-your-face reminder that the coordinator job description, pay grade, and salary range remain outdated.
I don’t know about you, but I have been trying for several years now to have the old “secretary” job description updated to reflect my actual job functions. I am sure that I’m not alone in feeling that no one but other coordinators really know what we do each and every day. Not even the program director understands the full scope of our job.
I’ve started a crusade to get others to recognize that coordinators are managers or administrators, not secretaries. Whenever I see something that supports this notion, I forward it on to the administrative director, and ask him to share it with the appropriate people in Human Resources.
Despite my efforts, I usually get the, “I can’t tell you things will be any different this time next year” response. However, this year, I was quite surprised when he told me that Human Resources was in the process of reviewing my job description. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the job description would also be reviewed and discussed during an upcoming quarterly meeting and a committee would decide whether an update/pay grade adjustment was needed. All I could think was, “Yipee! Someone is looking at what I do! Yipee!!!”
Before this meeting, I put together a new job description. I pulled information from several different articles and sources, including:
- The Role of the Residency Coordinator, by Dianna Otterstad
- Radiology Residency Program Coordinator/Education Administration Job Description, from the Association of Program Coordinators in Radiology
- Importance of the Radiology Program Coordinator, published in Academic Radiology (may need subscription to view)
I also made copies of anything that I am involved in, including attending HCPro’s Residency Program Management Workshops, writing articles that appeared in this blog or the Residency Program Alert publication. Additionally, I highlighted some of our program’s major successes, which I contributed to, including receiving full five-year accreditation after our last site visit, and other ways I’ve improved the program.
All of these accomplishments gave me “fuel for the fire” in my quest to bring greater attention to what we really do. . . manage a residency program.
I have to say that, although my performance review was right after I came back from having a chipped tooth rebounded at the dentist, and my lip was still a bit flabby and sagging from the Novocain, I came away from this year’s performance review with a glimmer of hope that things might change for me and other program coordinators in my institution. I believe my persistence had something to do with that-you have to keep trying until someone listens. You have to stand up for yourself or no one will!
I’ll end with one final piece of advice: Be sure to look in the mirror before an important meeting like this to make sure there’s no food between your teeth. Darn spinach salad. . . I didn’t discover it until I looked in my rear view mirror on my way home from work.
What have you done to advance the coordinator position in your institution?
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Diane Slosser
Diane L. Slosser is the radiology residency coordinator at Bridgeport Hospital, Yale New Health Health, in Bridgeport, CT.
She has been in this position for almost three years and is currently responsible for 14 residents. For two years prior to this position, she was the administrative secretary to both the department chairman and administrative director.
Prior to joining Bridgeport Hospital, Slosser was a stay-at-home mom for six years. She was previously employed as a program manager, corporate events, for UST, Inc., a leader in the smokeless tobacco industry. Slosser also held positions of increasing responsibility in the legal and government relations departments during her 10 years with UST.
Slosser loves to travel and spend time with her family and friends doing the simple things in life. She is involved with the PTA and all of her family’s activities, and hopes to one day again be able to find the time and energy to bowl with the ladies, knit, crochet and read a good mystery novel.Diane has written 4 posts.
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Below is the Coordinator’s job description for Psychiatry Residency Programs.
Psychiatry Residency Coordinators
Job Description
The following job description is intended as a general outline of duties for the Program Coordinator position. It is intended as a guideline. The Residency Coordinator Job Description varies greatly between institutions, regions and program size.
Job Summary
This position provides direction, leadership and day-to-day management of educational and departmental activities to include administrative support to the Director of the residency training program, and educational coordination between attending physicians, residents, medical students and institutional and regulatory administrative offices. Responsible for the coordination and organization of Accredited Graduate Medical Education Psychiatry Residency Programs and subspecialty Fellowship Programs. The coordinator must demonstrate initiative, resourcefulness, and problem-solving skills in applying a detailed knowledge of the responsibilities, functions and underlying management structure of the department and of the larger institution in organizing and independently prioritizing work, establishing procedures and systems, and ensuring orderly and timely work flow. Coordinates and administers human resource functions and participates in budget review and financial processes. Acts for and makes decisions in the program director’s absence within prescribed limits of authority.
Education/Experience
Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Business Administration preferred.
OR
Three or more years’ experience in medical or academic setting accepted in lieu of degree.
Expertise (Skills)
Strong interpersonal and human resources management skills
Written and oral communications skills
Financial management skills
Computer skills
Organizational skills
Duties:
Management:
Manages and maintains office staff, systems, functions
Implements policies and procedures and manages the daily operational activities and special program activities
Maintains data system management of program
Prepares monthly and annual program reports
Reports program information to National agencies
Schedules meetings which include all residency staff to discuss administrative issues
Acts as liaison with outside agencies and outside rotation site personnel
Maintain compliance with national organizations
Manages and coordinates program logistics
Coordinates all program events to include but not limited to retreats, banquets, educational lunches, grand rounds, and other program specific speaking engagements.
Recruitment:
Coordinates activities related to recruitment of new residents. These include key activities such as recruitment events, screening, interviewing, reference checks and orientation.
Education and Certification:
Coordinates the educational functions of the Program including the timely dissemination of information and documentation, which is necessary for the efficient operation of the training program.
Responsible for the organization and
Coordinates and facilitates activities related to the residents’ successful completion of the program and preparation for the Board Exam. These include activities such as:
Scheduling of resident rotations, clinic hours and/or schedules
Arranging for extracurricular activities including training and educational activities
Counseling current and incoming residents on such issues as scheduling, specific rotation requirements, annual and sick leave, benefits, policy and procedures, survival skills, etc.
Documenting ongoing resident training and completion of training
Scheduling evaluations of all residents in program; supervising maintenance, confidentiality and accessibility of resident files
Collectively the program coordinators at our institution have advocated, tirelessly, for a revision of the PC job description at the highest level. Last year we made a step in the right direction and University HR decided to review the position for re-classification. This is a fancy way of saying that they sent out a massive survey to see what all coordinators actually did, and are considering creating a specific career-track in our system for the coor position.
I have numerous job descriptions that we’ve written/rewritten that i’m happy to share with anyone.
I think we’ll achieve critical mass on this evenetually. Keep up the fight!
Our institution had all coordinators document what they felt was involved in their positions as coordinators several years ago. So far there really has been nothing done with that information. We do keep checking to see what the status is but so far nothing.
For some coordinators, such as myself, we are not only the program coordinator but we are also the department secretary and handle all of the other every day, and sometimes not so every day, activities, which I think it makes it harder to categorize us.
I strongly feel that by getting the Certification of TAGME shows not only our dedication to our position but that we also have the knowledge and expertise for our position along with the competency to manage our programs. It also shows that we are interested in continuing our education to have the best accredited fellowship program!
One point of the certification, however, is that as a subspecialty the main program coordinators must certify first. What do we do if they do not want the certification but the subspecialties want it – which is a whole new subject?!
Diane Slosser hits the nail on the head. We have been trying to gain recognition for over a year and a half, and instead of being recognized for our value and given an appropriate title, we were demoted from Salaried/lower management to hourly with a secretarial job classification. I continue to work for recognition and am working directly with our Chief Academic Officer, but the wheels of progress turn slowly. I would love to share my findings and efforts if it will help any of you out there, and I’d love your ideas. I can be reached through the HCPro chat group.
I share in your frustrations. We have had many people try to advocate for our positions to be taken seriously. It has been a very painful and long process from Staff Assistant to Residency Coordinator. The last time our JD was revamped (we have done it at least 3 times since I came to this position over 7 years ago), they did not change the title and based on hearing how much time we were working, they decided to change us to exempt employees and give us a whopping 2% raise! (wow, thanks so much for that! ugh) Now we are at it again institutionally and although I’m hopeful do not expect anything in this economy. To Dona Goodrich: I disagree with getting the TAGME certification. It just ties us to that position for life. I decided after checking out the validity of the certification and my options if I did it (no options for promotion as it was only tied to this position), I will be going for HR management certification. Check out the website at SHRM…It is more expensive but you will be able to use it for any HR management related job and makes more sense for each of us personally. Just my opinion but I have done a lot of investigating about this over the years… Wish us all luck. Hopefully our institutions will recognize the hard work we do as managers and revamp this once and for all. I’m sure they could make different levels of manager based on our personal situations too.
As with all coordinators and institutions nationwide, we have also been fighting for a revision to the job description and pay scale for residency coordinators. Personally, I believe that the problem stems from the fact that we are collectively labeled as coordinators instead of managers, that many coordinators are still involved in secretarial positions, and that upper-level management is still highly unaware of the amount of time, energy, work, and accountability required of this position. I have made this a top priority/goal for this year. All I know to say is to just keep fighting and never give up. I wish everyone the best of luck!
How does one join the HCPro chat group?
I am from Canada and we are currently working on a certification that is equal to TAGME. However, I agree that the HR certification would be best served to this career. I am not impressed with how this position is viewed in my end of the spectrum. The work is great but the recognition is insulting to say the least and I base this on the long hours spent and emotional energy involved.
What is the salary range for a full time residency coordinator?
We did a coordinator salary survey last year. You can find a summary of the findings in this post:
http://blogs.hcpro.com/residencymanager/2008/08/the-results-are-in-2008-residency-coordinator-salary-survey/
Diane-What was the outcome of the HR meeting in January?
How I wish I had something to say, but nothing has changed. Our institution, as I’m sure many, has been “streamlining for success.” Not only have we had a hiring freeze and a salary freeze, but people have had their hours cut and some have lost their jobs altogether. I’m one of the lucky ones that still has a job…the the “fight” for change will have to wait. I’ll bring it up again in my annual review in January, and will let you know if anything changes…somehow I doubt it, but you never know…gotta keep the faith because someday it will happen for all of us. ROAR!
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