ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: An effective working relationship between chief residents and residency program directors is critical to a residency program's success. Despite the importance of this relationship, few studies have explored the characteristics of an effective program director-chief resident partnership or how to facilitate collaboration between the 2 roles, which collectively are important to program quality and resident satisfaction. We describe the development and impact of a novel workshop that paired program directors with their incoming chief residents to facilitate improved partnerships. METHODS: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education sponsored a full-day workshop for residency program directors and their incoming chief residents. Sessions focused on increased understanding of personality styles, using experiential learning, and open communication between chief residents and program directors, related to feedback and expectations of each other. Participants completed an anonymous survey immediately after the workshop and again 8 months later to assess its long-term impact. RESULTS: Participants found the workshop to be a valuable experience, with comments revealing common themes. Program directors and chief residents expect each other to act as a role model for the residents, be approachable and available, and to be transparent and fair in their decision-making processes; both groups wanted feedback on performance and clear expectations from each other for roles and responsibilities; and both groups identified the need to be innovative and supportive of changes in the program. Respondents to the follow-up survey reported that workshop participation improved their relationships with their co-chiefs and program directors. CONCLUSION: Participation in this experiential workshop improved the working relationships between chief residents and program directors. The themes that were identified can be used to foster communication between incoming chief residents and residency directors and to develop a curriculum for chief resident development.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The past decade has seen a proliferation of leadership training programs for physicians that teach skills outside the graduate medical education curriculum. OBJECTIVE: To determine the perceived value and impact of an experiential leadership training program for pediatric chief residents on the chief residents and on their programs and institutions. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective study. Surveys were sent to chief residents who completed the Chief Resident Training Program (CRTP) between 1988 and 2003 and to their program directors and department chairs asking about the value of the program, its impact on leadership capabilities, as well as the effect of chief resident training on programs and institutions. RESULTS: Ninety-four percent of the chief residents and 94% of program directors and department chairs reported that the CRTP was "very" or "somewhat" relevant, and 92% of the chief residents indicated CRTP had a positive impact on their year as chief resident; and 75% responded it had a positive impact beyond residency. Areas of greatest positive impact included awareness of personality characteristics, ability to manage conflict, giving and receiving feedback, and relationships with others. Fifty-six percent of chief residents reported having held a formal leadership position since chief residency, yet only 28% reported having received additional leadership training. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates a perceived positive impact on CRTP participants and their programs and institutions in the short and long term.
