I don't exactly understand the role/percs/responsibility of being a chief resident. Is the Chief resident the best 3rd/4th year resident (in a three/four year program), or are they chosen to stick around residency for an extra year to be a chief (a fourth year of resident in a three year program). Is the schedule and responsibility more demanding. How much clout do you have in the program? Is it more important in some fields then others? Any information would be helpful. -Thanks
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Chief Resident...enlighten me
Started by Stillwater45
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It depends on the specialty.
- In surgical specialties, often the entire graduating class is called 'chief resident'. This doesn't confer any administrative or disciplinary duties but is rather a rank. Sometimes, one of of the last year residents is appointed as 'administrative chief', this is the person typically responsible for rotation scheduling and the like.
- in IM and PEDS you will often find the chief resident to be a person who stays on for a PGY-4. This chief position can be anything from a pure research and teaching position to being the whipping boy for the program director (or more likely the whip in the hand of the PD to discipline unruly disgruntled lower year residents). Sometimes it comes with clinical duties, e.g. acting as a backup for the senior resident at hospitals with spotty attending coverage (e.g. VAs or public charity hospitals), often it is largely an administrative position (scheduling, vacation requests etc.)
Selection criteria vary. Don't believe the c$*# that this is the smartest person around. There are different motivations for people to do the chief thing including a. hanging out for another year until the cardiology fellowship starts b. hanging out for another year because you couldn't find a job c. the love of teaching.
- in some hospitals 'chief resident' is actually a junior faculty title. These people come back to their institution after a fellowship and act as assistant program director for a year or two.
- In surgical specialties, often the entire graduating class is called 'chief resident'. This doesn't confer any administrative or disciplinary duties but is rather a rank. Sometimes, one of of the last year residents is appointed as 'administrative chief', this is the person typically responsible for rotation scheduling and the like.
- in IM and PEDS you will often find the chief resident to be a person who stays on for a PGY-4. This chief position can be anything from a pure research and teaching position to being the whipping boy for the program director (or more likely the whip in the hand of the PD to discipline unruly disgruntled lower year residents). Sometimes it comes with clinical duties, e.g. acting as a backup for the senior resident at hospitals with spotty attending coverage (e.g. VAs or public charity hospitals), often it is largely an administrative position (scheduling, vacation requests etc.)
Selection criteria vary. Don't believe the c$*# that this is the smartest person around. There are different motivations for people to do the chief thing including a. hanging out for another year until the cardiology fellowship starts b. hanging out for another year because you couldn't find a job c. the love of teaching.
- in some hospitals 'chief resident' is actually a junior faculty title. These people come back to their institution after a fellowship and act as assistant program director for a year or two.
B
Blade28
I've always been used to the "chief" being anyone in their final year of residency. However, as f_w stated, in medicine usually you have to stay on an extra year to be chief - I've seen many of these residents act as quasi-attendings, and it's like a transitional year between residency and being an attending. Most of the ones I know go on to become hospitalists at their given hospital.
It depends on the specialty. In surgical specialties, the chief usually means a resident in their last year of training. In medicine, the chief is someone who has already completed their residency and has either stayed on or came back after taking a year or two to work/do fellowship to serve a year as chief.
Here's a link to a recent discussion on this in the IM forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=215409
Here's a link to a recent discussion on this in the IM forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=215409
Thanks for the imput, I really appreciate it.
