FM Chief Resident opening, thoughts?

[KiyoshiAphelion]

Hi everyone. First time post and I am looking for some advice on our residency program. Our Program Director is pushing for myself and another PGY2 at a regional DO FM residency program to be chief residents next year. We have 15 slots total in our program with 13 residents, 5 of which are PGY2's, and our program is only a few years old. Of our PGY2 group, nobody wants to be chief resident, mostly because it appears there is little benefit, maybe some scheduling priority with rotations, and LOTS of negatives: extra meetings, schedule planning, organizing lectures, "volunteering" other residents to community activities, and enforcing our new tardiness policy to morning lectures. None of us are aiming for fellowships.

All five of us are married, everyone will have kids by the start of next year, and nobody really wants the extra responsibility and time that would go with the position.

The current chiefs say they work about 10 extra hours per week doing administrative tasks, planning medical student rotations, approving vacations, and running interviews, for the first 6 months. It slows down a bit after The Match, but they have both expressed their frustrations being betwixt the program directors and the residents.

Current compensation for the FM chief is a $500 "stipend" at the end of the year, which is split between the two current co-chiefs.

I am considering a partnership with my other residents to NOT apply for the chief position this year and I'm wondering what, if anything, that will accomplish. I'm doubtful that there is a budget for more pay, and even then, I can't imagine it being worth it unless it was 3-5k more/year.

Any thoughts on my options? Unfortunately, everyone in my year is too "smart" to apply for chief.

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[Crayola227]

wow $500 and you don't want to do fellowship/academics....

sounds like a **** show

 

[mvenus929]

Being a chief while you are still in training sounds miserable. We have four chiefs that have graduated, and between everything they do (not including clinical work), it's probably at least a half to three quarter time job for each of them, between committees, scheduling, education, and remediation for residents. And they are out of residency, so there isn't as much conflict of interest, as there might be with someone still in the class.

Sounds like a rough situation. I don't have any specific advice for you, but wish you luck.

 

[AdmiralChz]

I think there was a time where being a chief resident meant something and carried more weight, I have not seen that in my or surrounding programs (surgery doesn't count as everyone sort of gets to be a chief with small class sizes). All of our chiefs, now 12 since I have been here to a person regret their decision - it often puts you against your co-residents with schedule making and even punishments. Some get quite bitter. If you don't want it, by all means say no.

 

[laconfidential]

Not worth it. $500 to put up with the inevitable bitching of all your co-residents? Because that's what chiefs do. Oh and put up with the same from faculty.

Our chiefs get about $15,000 fwiw...

 

[evilbooyaa]

$500 is laughable. Splitting it between 2 co-chiefs is even more laughable. I'd tell 'em thanks but no thanks.

 

[backcountryrez]

If you had to ask if you should go for it, you probably don't want it. Agreed with all. Let the "title-chasers" go after it.

 

[gracie369]

Split a taxed $500? Might as well be a fruit basket!

 

[Gastrapathy]

Don't try to convince the others not to do it. But you can just say no thanks.

 

[chicagochildpsych]

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[J ROD]

"chief" is a lie. You are the middle man, which is actually worse than a being a plain resident. You get dumped on by faculty that have do academia because they want you to do their work and then have to hear all the "BS" from residents.

You are nothing more than their bitch with a title and no power.

 

[SLC]

Ran into the same thing at my program. It's $5000 and an extra week off for us, but then it's also a ton more work, most of it unpleasant.

I said thanks but no thanks. None of the chiefs before me seemed to enjoy the job much at all and I have a family to raise.

 

[hello1234!]

Is it really an extra 10 hours a week added onto your clinical duties??? Do you get time off of your rotations for the admin stuff??? I did IM and was at a new program so I didn't have a chief, but having to do an extra 10 hours of work a week during third year would totally suck .. .. I would rather spend those hours studying for boards. Having said that, being specifically asked by your PD to be the chief is an honor. If you say no, make sure to say no respectfully.