Archive for: March, 2009
Sample pre-orientation e-newsletters
Ask and you shall receive!
As the first post indicated, Diane sends these e-newsletters out about once a week between Match and orientation. Being the good sport that she is, Diane shared two sample issues: The first is the introduction newsletter she wrote for this year’s new residents. The second is an example of an issue she sends out later in the summer, introducing current residents and some of the new ones.
One warning: Diane says don’t panic when you see how long the intros are for each resident in the second sample newsletter. She loves to write and goes all out. You certainly don’t need to.
Special note for RPA subscribers: I wrote an article about Diane’s e-newsletter in the May 2008 issue of RPA. You can read more about what Diane includes in each issue, why, and get an outline of what each issue includes. Access the archives by visiting HCPro’s Web site. You will have to log in to see past issues. Just click on Archives, then 2008, and then under May, look for the article entitled, Give new residents a head start on orientation. (I know, I used the same title for the blog post–I can only be so creative!)
Monday’s Poll: Feeding the filing monster
How often do you think something lands on your desk that needs to be filed? Once every five minutes? A few times an hour?
Although it’s not the most glamorous part of a coordinator’s job, filing is important. If your program director asks for a resident’s file, you don’t want to be frantically shuffling through a stack of papers looking for the most recent evaluations.
How do you stay on top of the filing frenzy? Share any tips in the comment box below!
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Time saving strategy: Give residents a head start on orientation
Editor’s Note: You can now find sample issues of the e-newsletter by clicking here.
The period of time between Match Day and orientation is a flurry of activity for residency program coordinators. Not only are you credentialing newly matched trainees, you’re organizing orientation, re-credentialing your current housestaff, planning for their rising year orientation, overseeing exit procedures for graduates, and arranging all end-of-the-year evaluations. Oh, and did I mention you’re also orienting a new batch of chief residents?
The ACGME and the Resident Survey
The ACGME Resident Survey is quite a powerful tool that can greatly affect results of your site visit.
For example, at our Residency Program Management Workshop, a coordinator shared the following story: A resident indicated on the Resident Survey that he did not have access to technology/internet 24 hours/day. The ACGME honed in on this, and mentioned it in the accreditation decision letter. Of course, the program director and coordinator were stunned and puzzled, and immediately set out to find out why a resident would answer this way.
It turns out that one day, the entire hospital lost power for a few hours, during which the resident (or anyone else) could not use a computer or access the internet. That’s why the resident said he did not have around-the-clock access to technology. The program director eventually cleared this up with the ACGME and all was well.
Although program directors and coordinators cannot coach or tell residents how to respond to questions on the survey, they can help them understand the survey questions and how the ACGME uses the survey. Preparing residents to take the survey is now more important than ever because it is now required annually.
At the 2009 ACGME Educational Conference, Ingrid Philibert, PhD, MBA, John Coyle, MD, and Diane Hartman, MD, described how the ACGME uses the survey during their presentation entitled, “The Accreditation Site Visit: An In-Depth Look at the Multiple Elements and a Vision of Things to Come.”
The presenters said Resident Survey data is used to:
- Help site visitors determine what questions to ask residents and faculty during their interviews
- Support other information in the PIF and given by the program director during his or her interview
- Compare results to data provided by the program and institution regarding duty hours
The good news is, that the ACGME also said that they get feedback on which Resident Survey questions are confusing during faculty and resident interviews. They take that information back to the ACGME, and they try to make questions more clear.
How do you help residents understand what the ACGME is asking on the survey? How do you use the survey results to make program improvments or prepare for the site visit?
California residency program losses federal funding
The family medicine residency program at Doctors Medical Center in CA may close due to policies set forth in the 2007 Balanced Budget Act, according to the Modesto Bee.
Hospital and county officials are upset because the program’s 27 residents care for poor and uninsured patients-nearly 35,000 patient visits each year. Additionally, several graduates from the program remain as practicing physicians in the area.
So, what caused CMS to strip the program of its funding? The program started in 1975 at Stanislaus Medical Center, which closed in 1997. At that point, the program moved to Doctors Medical Center, said the Modesto Bee article.
The Modesto Bee reports that the move disqualified the program for GME funding. However, CMS provided reimbursement to the program for several years. Now, CMS has discovered the errors, is taking away the funding, and asking the hospital and county to refund the agency $19.1 million dollars it had paid out to the program between 2001 and 2008.
As of Mar 25th, the county in which the hospital is located agreed to pay CMS $9.63 million and approved another $1.5 million to keep the program afloat in the short term, according to the Modesto Bee. Doctors Medical Center covered the rest of the reimbursement to CMS.
The program, which is affiliated with the University of California at Davis is in good standing with the ACGME.
NRMP reports largest Match in History
This year marked the largest Match ever, according to the NRMP. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most interesting facts and figures:
Number of participants: 29,890 (1,153 more than last year)
Number of US medical school seniors: 15,638
Number of IMGs: 10,874 (570 more than last year)
Number of graduates from osteopathic schools: 2,015 (145 more than last year)
Number of PGY1 positions available through NRMP: 22,427
Number of unfilled positions: 1,087
Number of couples in the Match: 788
Number of couples who matched to their respective preferences: 706
Percentage of positions filled during the Match: 95%
Percentage of US medical school seniors who matched: 93%
Percentage of those students who matched to one of their top three choices: 82%
Most competitive specialties: dermatology, neurological surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and otolaryngology
Monday’s Poll: New resident packets
Take the quiz below! There are a million different ways programs can send information to new residents. If you do something besides send a packet, tell us in the comment box below!
Hail to the chief: Chief resident training
There’s no question that chief residents are a vital part of the management of the residency program. Whether your program has already selected next year’s chiefs or just starting the voting process, program directors and coordinators need to think about how they’re going to prepare chiefs for their new role.
Happy Match Day!
Happy Match Day, everyone!
The wait is over, and I can almost hear program coordinators and directors breathe a sigh of relief.
Here’s a round up of news stories regarding the Match:
Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer
Charlottesville Daily Progress
How did everyone do? Share in the comment box below!
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