Archive for: Resident Well Being
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.
Tips for preventing the flu
For those of you who visited Residency Manager Blog on Tuesday after receiving our free e-newsletter, may have noticed things hadn’t really been updated in awhile. It’s because I was out with the flu.
Yes, my boyfriend and I spent a very romantic Valentines Day sitting in the doctor’s office waiting for confirmation that I had the dreaded influenza. I had never had the flu before, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy– it was awful!
To keep you healthy for the rest of this flu season, consider the following tips:
- The CDC suggests that you avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth as much as possible. You may get sick if you touch something contaminated with the flu virus and then touch your face.
- Hand sanitizers can kill the virus, according to the CDC. If someone close to you is sick, keep hand sanitizer near by. After putting the gel on your hands, rub them together until they are dry. Also use sanitizer after you cough or sneeze.
- Drink plenty of liquids that hydrate you, the CDC recommends. Drinks such as coffee and soda are not ideal because they are the best hydraters. Also watch out for beverages high in sugar, like sports drinks. Water is your best bet.
- WebMD suggests wiping your work area down with disinfectant wipes. Clean your desk, where you typically touch drawers or file cabinets, and carefully wipe down your keyboard and phone.
What do you do to avoid getting the flu and colds?
Monday’s Poll: Chief resident training
Soundbooth Friday: Get residents feedback about the program
Over the last several months, Residency Program Alert has included a series describing how to combat the nine red flags in the accreditation process outlined in the February 2008 ACGME e-bulletin. The article in February’s issue of RPA covers the concern the ACGME identified as, “lack of program leadership.”
Residents with learning disabilities
Lately, I have been thinking about the best way to work with residents who have learning disabilities.
If a resident comes to the program and discloses his or her learning disability, it’s fairly cut and dry.
Monday’s Poll: Spending holidays with your residents
For me, Thanksgiving and the holiday season are all about spending time with my family. None of us live in the same state, so Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only two times a year I see my family. (I’m in Boston, my parents are in Florida, my sister is in Atlanta, and my brother, who is in the Navy, is stationed in Gulfport, MS for the time being).
As I cherished the past six days I spent with my family, I thought about Ruth’s post from last week. Residents may not get to take the time off to see their family over the holidays.
Creative holiday party ideas
Alright, I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but take a look at your local drug store, grocery store, or mall-there’s no question that the December holiday season is here. That means it’s time to party!
Spreading holiday cheer to residents
The holiday season is not easy for those residents who do not have family close by or who cannot go home because of rotation and call schedules. This is certainly true for surgical residents in my program.
Residency and race
Teaching residents how to communicate cross-culturally in order to provide the best patient care is a a hot topic in residency education. I recently completed an article for the December issue of Residency Program Alert, which talks about developing a cultural competency curriculum.
Encouraging rather than discouraging residents
The New York Times has been on a roll lately, running quite a few articles about residency training.
In the latest article, the author, Pauline W. Chen, MD, reflects on her training. When she was a resident, interns were considered lower than gum stuck on the bottom of a faculty member’s shoe.
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