Archive for: Program Management
Preparing for visiting residents
A close friend of mine has spent the last two months traveling the country doing visiting rotations, trying to find the fellowship program of his dreams. He’s been everywhere from Florida to Virginia and even Massachusetts.
With all of the money he’s spending on traveling, imagine his disappointment when he received a phone call informing him that he could no longer come in 20 minutes before he was supposed to arrive. Apparently, there was some mix-up with paperwork and he wouldn’t be able to spend any time with the program.
Obviously, these visiting trainees are just a blip on your radar screen and a bit of a pain to deal with (just one more item to add to your to-do list). But, it’s important to remember that their visits are also part of recruiting them, so making a good first impression is important.
How does your program handle residents who are only doing a visiting rotation? What steps do you take to ensure everything is in order for their arrival? Leave a comment in the box below.
Residency coordinators need succession plans
I’m working on a few articles for RPA about time management skills and tips for coordinators. I’ve spoken to a few seasoned coordinators who have told me that they keep everything regarding the program in their heads.
August to-do list for coordinators
Here are a few items to add to your to-do list for August:
- Continue helping new residents get adjusted to the program
- Install ERAS software on PCs of all staff who will be using it
- Process requests for information about the program and send out any recruitment materials
- Consider organizing an event for local medical school seniors interested in your specialty
- Complete GME Track and ACGME ADS updates for the new academic year
What else are you up to this month? Leave the answers in the comment box below!
Don’t skip electronic professionalism lessons for trainees
Sometimes all it takes is a small action by a resident to spark an idea for a new lecture series or other learning activity.
Nancy Spector, MD, pediatric associate program director at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia launched an e-professionalism lecture series after she was CC’d on an e-mail from a resident to all other trainees that included a reminder to censor their replies because Dr. Spector would receive them as well.
Plan a program leadership retreat
We’re all off and running! The new chiefs have started, new trainees have started, and schedules are generally stable. Recruitment is on the horizon, but it feels suddenly, albeit briefly, like a little bit of a reprieve.
Solve evaluation woes by setting expectations for meeting deadlines
For many coordinators, running a marathon would take less effort than trying to get residents to turn in their evaluations and paperwork on time. Although electronic systems, such as New Innovations and E*Value, have made disseminating evaluations and tracking who has completed them much easier for many programs, the bottom line is that this process is still a major frustration for coordinators.
Taking a vacation? Prepare the program, director and residents before you go
There’s no question that coordinators have a lot-sometimes too much-to do. This makes going on vacation difficult, especially when there’s no one else to keep up with all of the paperwork, e-mails, and questions while you’re gone. Some coordinators may even feel reluctant to take a vacation!
Get coordinators involved in internal reviews
While working on our book, Internal Review Made Simple, I learned that examining program documentation is one of the most arduous tasks undertaken during internal reviews. I brought that up recently during a conversation with a GME leader, who was describing how she recently revised her institution’s internal review process.
Expanded orientation focusing on IMGs
Congratulations to Susan Potter, MA, RN, education coordinator for the internal medicine residency program at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. She won free registration for the 4th Annual Residency Program Management Workshop!
The following is Susan’s entry, which describes an expanded orientation curriculum to educate foreign medical graduates on using educational resources to find reliable, evidence-based medical information.
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.
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