10 tips on running your residency program

1. Practical ideas you can use to enhance your
program/curriculum.
M Ladhani with thanks to Adelle Atkinson, Tara Baron, Sarah
Manos, Hilary Writer and the CPPD

2. Objectives:
• Identify some of the common pitfalls
faced by program directors
• Describe some practical ways to
overcome pitfalls or challenges in
residency education
• Apply 10 tips on how to survive and
make your own program better.
2

3. Pearls and Pitfalls of a Program Director

4. 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.
1. Participating in scholarly activity is important, fun and
keeps the work interesting
2. Other people will find it useful, so try to get it out there

5. #2 Rely on your RPC
1. There are multiple daily decisions to be made
2. Some decisions have significant consequences/
impact
3. The RPC provides support, consultation, great
ideas and represents all aspects of your program
4. Example: Program evaluation – resident retreat
reports

6. #3 Ask the residents, they often have
innovative solutions to problems
1. Residents should be engaged at each stage of any
process of decision-making and change
2. Engaged residents feel an ownership of the
program
3. Example: academic ½ day attendance

7. #4 Collaborate with the Program Directors in
your specialty across the country, get on the
listserv!
1. We all have the similar issues, some are specialty specific.
2. Important to know what is being done across the country from a
program delivery point of view.
3. You will get ideas for our own program
4. Example: STACER format, 4th year on call survey (Chiefs and program
directors)

8. #5 Create a culture of transparency
1. Context is important
2. Keep residents up to date with changes, even
while in progress
3. Include residents in the changes

9. #6 Take advantage of some CE in medical
education if you have the opportunity.
1. Provides you with really useful tools.
2. Networking
3. Value added for the PD job

10. #7 If you have a resident in difficulty, get
onto the issues immediately and ask for
help.
1. Residents in difficulty often get picked up later in
training
2. Remediation plans take time and resources
3. Example: in-house remediation

11. #8 Use the resources around you, locally at
your site, the PG office and the RCPSC,
College of Family Practice.
1. Have a number of people on speed-dial from the
PG office, they can answer pretty much any
question within seconds.

12. #9 Think about how to best balance the
roles of resident advocate and being
supportive of and working with faculty
who teach the residents
1. Need credibility in both arenas
2. Sometimes have to have difficult conversations
both with faculty and residents

13. #10 Choose your Chief Residents carefully
and provide them with mentorship.
1. They are your right/left hands.