Resident Manual

Chief Resident Responsibilities

The Chief Resident in Pathology works to enhance communication between the resident staff, the attending faculty, and the technical, administrative, and clerical staff.  The Chief Resident acts as an advocate for the resident staff and promotes resident interests in conjunction with program needs and functions.  The Chief Resident works closely with the Program Director, particularly in coordinating resident rotation and call schedules, conferences, orientation programs, social functions, applicant interviews, resident involvement in student teaching, and maintaining resident morale.  Responsibilities of the Chief Resident are delineated by the Program Director.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

Communication

1. Maintain regular communication with the Program Director and inform the Program Director and Division Chiefs, when appropriate, of important issues involving the resident staff.

2. Maintain communication with other residents in the form of meetings, electronic or written memoranda, or by other means. 

3. Query the resident group about issues as requested by the Program Director or Chair.

4. Attend and participate in regular meetings with the Program Director, Chair, and Division Chiefs and provide feedback on issues discussed.

5. Represent the residents at Residency Program Committee meetings.

6. Strive to maintain morale among the resident staff.

Organization

1. In conjunction with the Program Director, arrange the yearly resident rotation schedules, and make appropriate changes during the year as necessary.

2. Maintain and schedule daily resident work schedules, including on-call coverage and coverage for unexpected absences.

3. Coordinate resident vacation and meeting/conference time in accordance with departmental and institutional policies.

4. Assist the Program Director in scheduling the annual in-service examination (RISE).

5. Assist in scheduling and coordinating intra-departmental conferences.  Ensure that the resident staff is aware of up-coming responsibilities to present at various conferences.

6. Facilitate resident participation in departmental and institutional committees.

Recruitment and Training

1. Coordinate resident staff participation in the residency candidate interview and evaluation process.  Assume responsibility for arranging the luncheon for each candidate (this may be delegated as appropriate).

2. Assist the Program Director and attending faculty with new resident orientation.

Teaching and Educational Activities

1. Help identify, update, and improve topics for the Core Curriculum teaching conferences given by the faculty.

2. Coordinate and assign topics for resident participation in the Core Curriculum to ensure that each resident gives a minimum of two formal presentations during residency training.

3. Identify resident availability and schedule residents to present at interdepartmental conferences, journal clubs, medical student labs, “Lab Week” teaching conferences, and other teaching activities, as needed to support the department’s educational mission.  

4. Assist the Program Director in maintaining up-to-date resident libraries in the Anatomic and Clinical Pathology areas (this duty may be delegated to a junior resident in each area).

5. Distribute teaching materials such as conference slides, the California Tumor Registry slides, and ASCP check sample materials among the resident staff.

  General Information

• Goals and Objectives
• Departmental Policies
• Conference Schedule
• Mentoring Program
• Resident Opportunities for Teaching and Research
• Chief Resident Responsibilities