Archive for: June, 2009
Monday’s poll: Program director evaluations
I’m working on a great article for RPA about program director evaluations. I’m looking at how four different institutions measure program director performance. The methods used vary greatly–some program directors ask residents to evaluate them once a year while other evaluations are facilitated by the GME office.
Program changes help reduce resident burnout
As you watch eager new residents start their training, I know it’s hard to think about trainee burnout, but it’s a serious issue in resident education. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to address burnout risk factors and wellness as I recently found out while writing an article on the subject for Residency Program Alert.
GME in the news
I’ve seen quite a few news articles about resident orientation and accreditation, so I thought I’d share:
Andrews Institute orthopedic sports medicine program recevies accreditation
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hosptial welcomes its new residents
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center gets a geriatric fellowship
University of Louisville neurosurgery program is reaccredited
ACGME offers new program coordinator award
The ACGME will award five program coordinators with the GME Program Coordinator Excellence Award during the 2010 Educational Conference.
This new award seeks to recognize coordinators’ efforts and their roles in graduate medical education training. The award applications are due by August 3, and applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a coordinator for an ACGME accredited program that has full or continued full accreditation
- Have a least five years of experience
- Should actively participate in program coordinator associations or other national conferences and committees
For more information read the FAQ . To download the application, go to the ACGME Web site, click on ACGME Awards on the left menu bar, select GME Program Coordinator Excellence Award, and then Application.
It’s really great to see that the ACGME is finally recognizing the importance of the coordinator to program management and accreditation. This is a wonderful step forward for the coordinator profession!
What do you think about this award? Leave a comment in the box below.
Boston surgery program receives duty hour citation
The surgery residency program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston received a citation from the ACGME for violating the duty hour standards, according to an article in the Boston Globe.
Bring spouses/signficiant others into the loop on residency program events
I took my dog to the veterinarian this morning, and the vet happens to be the wife of one of my interns. (It’s not a big town here)
While examining my dog, she said, “Hey, isn’t there some sort of intern dinner next week? I think so, but I’m not sure because my husband NEVER TELLS ME ANYTHING!”
Now, while I completely sympathized with her (because my husband never tells me anything either) it occurred to me that I could start an e-mail list for spouses and significant others. This would allow me to communicate with them about major program dates and events. I think bringing them into the loop will not only help their family, but it will help ensure that my residents are as successful as possible at making it to program functions.
How do you communicate with your residents’ spouses/significant others? Anyone have any experiences to share in this area? Leave a comment in the box below.
Take our residency coordinator salary survey
It’s that time of year again!
We’re launching our 2009 Residency Coordinator Salary Survey, and we need your input.
To take the survey, please click here, or cut and paste the following link into your Web browser: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229BRRAFQ9V
A summary of the results will be posted on Residency Manager Blog. Interesting findings from last year’s survey include:
- 40% of respondents earn $31,000-$41,000
- 71% were paid yearly salaries
- 59% of respondents manage programs with 10-30 residents
By taking our survey, you can help yourself. Use the data about salaries, raises, and job responsibilities to advocate within your institution for the role of the residency program coordinator!
Fellowship Forum: From Match to orientation
According to the NRMP General Schedule of Dates, it looks like fellowship programs Match at all different times of the year:
- Allergy & immunology in May
- Internal medicine and radiology in June
- OB/GYN and anesthesiology in October
- Ophthalmology in December
- Pediatric and surgery fellowships in any month you can name
So what happens during all the time between Match Day and when the new fellows actually arrive for orientation?
We used to keep in vague touch with the incoming fellows, but these folks kept contacting us to be sure they were expected. And we’d wonder if they were still coming. Although the NRMP makes matching a legal issue, it’s still a “long time – no see” situation.
To settle our nerves about this communication gap, we now send a letter of confirmation” immediately following the Match Day. Here’s what’s in it:
- A personal welcome for the fellow, to the institution, department, and program.
- The official training dates expected for the coming year.
- The date they must arrive for GME orientation, if earlier than the department orientation.
- The post graduate year (PGY) they will be upon entering.
- Notice of when they can expect to receive the GMEC Contract or Agreement of Appointment, which will include proposed salary, perks, credentialing process, and other information.
- Contact information for the program director and coordinator.
- Signature of the program director.
- Request that they sign the letter and return a copy to you.
This form of correspondence provides an extra secure feeling, so we coordinators can breathe easier until the next July first, and the beginning of the new academic year.
p.s. Good luck with your Match this year, whenever it is!
How do you keep in touch with your fellows and avoid the long-time-no-see problem? Leave a comment in the box below.
Court ruling on salaries could cost teaching hospitals, residents
The Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals found that residents’ salaries may be subject to Social Security taxes, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal.
Although most U.S. employees must pay Social Security taxes, students whose work is part of their studies have been excluded. Residents fell into this group, but over the past decade, medical schools and the IRS have been fighting over this exclusion, says The WSJ.
The appellate court’s ruling overturned those of two district courts, which had sided with the medical schools. The judges said medical residents are subject to payroll taxes, but says the tax law does not define whether residents are students or employees. According to the WSJ, this means the IRS can adopt its own guidelines around resident tax collection.
What do you think about this latest ruling? Leave your comments in the box below.
For more information on the resident tax issue, also see:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Learn your new interns’ names and faces
Does everyone hand out a face sheet, or something similar, of their new interns or fellows each year? If not, it’s a very useful resource and service!
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