Pearls and Pitfalls of a Program Director

1. Pearls and Pitfalls of a Program Director Adelle Atkinson, MD, FRCPC Paediatrics

2. Objectives – what will we talk about • Some reflections on a first term as Program Director • Some things that keep me awake at night • Top 10 things I would advise (if asked) • Discussion

3. Some Reflections It is very difficult to describe the scope of the responsibilities of a Residency Program Director! Blue book: “The program director is responsible for the overall conduct of the integrated residency program. The program director must be assured of sufficient time and support to supervise and administer the program. The program director is responsible to the head of the department concerned and to the postgraduate dean of the faculty.” Program Director’s Handbook: “The Royal College relies on Program Directors to ensure that residents are able to achieve the competencies of their specialty and that they are thoroughly prepared for their certification examinations and future careers as specialist physicians and surgeons. The Royal College supports your efforts to maintain the highest quality of residency recruitment, training and evaluation.” Educator Social Worker Amateur Psychiatrist Scheduler Problem Solver (daily) Recruiter Administrator Curriculum Designer Evaluation Designer

4. Things that keep me awake at night • CaRMS (just because I am up late reading files!) • Book time for file reading in your calendar way in advance • Accreditation • Start preparing your documents months in advance • Resident in difficulty – academic or professionalism (especially if it is professionalism) • Ensure to engage your remediation committee, don’t do it alone • Document, document, document • Emails – residents, PG, RCPSC • Book time in your calendar for ‘email review’ • Try to touch emails once

5. Top 10 Things I would advise #1 Every time you ask a question, make a change, deal with an important issue, do it in a scholarly way. • Participating in scholarly activity is important, fun and keeps the work interesting • Other people will find it useful, so try to get it out there • Example: Residency Research Project, Night Float trial

6. Top 10 Things I would advise #2 Rely on your RPC • There are multiple daily decisions to be made • Some decisions have significant consequences/impact • The RPC provides support, consultation, great ideas and represents all aspects of your program • Example: Program evaluation – resident retreat reports

7. Top 10 things I would advise #3 Ask the residents, they often have innovative solutions to problems • Residents should be engaged at each stage of any process of decision-making and change • Engaged residents feel an ownership of the program • Example: academic ½ day attendance

8. Top 10 things I would advise #4 Collaborate with the Program Directors in your specialty across the country, get on the listserv! • We all have the similar issues, some are specialty specific. • Important to know what is being done across the country from a program delivery point of view. • You will get ideas for our own program • Example: STACER format, 4th year on call survey (Chiefs and program directors)

9. Top 10 Things I would advise #5 Create a culture of transparency • Context is important • Keep residents up to date with changes, even while in progress • Include residents in the changes • Example: RCPSC exam time changes.

10. Top 10 Things I would advise #6 Take advantage of some CE in medical education if you have the opportunity. • Provides you with really useful tools. • Networking • Value added for the PD job

11. Top 10 Things I would advise #7 If you have a resident in difficulty, get onto the issues immediately and ask for help. • Residents in difficulty often get picked up later in training • Remediation plans take time and resources • Example: in-house remediation

12. Top 10 Things I would advise #8 Use the resources around you, locally at your site, the PG office and the RCPSC, College of Family Practice. • Have a number of people on speed-dial from the PG office, they can answer pretty much any question within seconds.

13. Top 10 Things I would advise #9 Think about how to best balance the roles of resident advocate and being supportive of and working with faculty who teach the residents • Need credibility in both arenas • Sometimes have to have difficult conversations both with faculty and residents

14. Top 10 Things I would advise #10 Choose your Chief Residents carefully and provide them with mentorship. • They are your right/left hands.

15. Objectives – what we did • Some reflections on a first term as Program Director • Some things that keep me awake at night • Top 10 things I would advise • Discussion

16. It’s a great job!