Turn Down the Heat!

Turn Down the Heat! Relieving Administrative Stress for You and Your Residents September 2010 RCPSC

Presentation Outline • Communication • Leaves and Waivers • Transfers • Part Time Residency • Electives • Questions and Discussion September 2010 RCPSC

Communication: Do you hear what I hear? September 2010 RCPSC

Communicating with Residents Websites: • Useful information • Easy to use • Current • Visually appealing September 2010 RCPSC

Communicating with Residents Mailings / Printed Material • Don’t underestimate the value of printed material • Refreshing in the electronic age • Creates a stronger connection with the recipient September 2010 RCPSC

Communicating With Residents Email • Quick & cheap • Which email address to use? Encourage residents to forward their account • Easy to scan & delete • Mass emails may be identified as spam September 2010 RCPSC

Communicating with Residents Social Media • Facebook / Twitter / MySpace • Do you use? Your residents do! September 2010 RCPSC

September 2010 RCPSC

Communicating with PGME Office • Is there effective communication with your PGME Office? • Ideas: regular meetings, webpage for PAs, copy you on important emails to PDs • Stop by and say hello (and vice versa!) September 2010 RCPSC

Leaves and Waivers: What’s the Problem? • RCPSC has policy on a ‘Waiver of Training’ • Residents felt entitled to this waiver (up to three months) • Only meant for exceptional residents • Can’t request a waiver after sitting final exams • Does your program/school allow waivers? Some don’t • Have PDs already promised waivers? Can only be granted in last year. • Is there a process at your school? Does Associate Dean have to approve? September 2010 RCPSC

Waivers of Training RCPSC and CMQ Maximum Allowable Times for Waivers: 1.One year program – no waiver allowed 2.Less than one year for remediation or enhanced skills – no waiver allowed 3.Two year program – six weeks 4.Three year program – six weeks 5.Four year program – three months 6.Five year program – three months 7.Six year program – three months 8.In Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, a maximum of six weeks may be waived for these three years of training. Subsequently, a maximum of six weeks of training may be waived in the following 2 years of training under the subspecialty September 2010 RCPSC

Leaves and Waivers: What’s the Problem? • Are residents and staff aware to whom they report absences? • Is there a Faculty or Hospital policy on minimum leave recorded on training record ie. does one sick day get recorded in training record or program file? • What does the collective agreement say regarding statutory holidays, conference leave, holiday entitlement, religious holidays? • What are the payroll requirements? • What kinds of leave are there? Sick, Compassionate, Bereavement, Maternity/Parental, Leave without Pay (at some schools, there is no such thing as a leave with pay – what about yours?) September 2010 RCPSC

What does the RCPSC say? http://rcpsc.medical.org/residency/certification/policy-procedures_e.pdf Section 4.3 Modifications to Residency Training 4.3.2 The Royal College and the Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) expect that all residents must have achieved the goals and objectives of the training program and be competent to commence independent practice by the completion of their training program. It is understood by the RCPSC and the CMQ that residents may require leaves of absence from training. The circumstances that would qualify residents for leaves of absence are determined by the university. It is anticipated that any time lost during a leave will be made up upon the resident’s return. September 2010 RCPSC

Guidelines: Leaves and Waivers • NOTE: All core requirements are to be completed before a resident will be released to pursue his/her subspecialty training program. • RCPSC candidates have 6 months to complete training after exam (5 months for Subspecialties) • Reporting to the Provincial College: • Is your PGME Office required to notify your licensing body of all interruptions in training greater than 1 week? • Ontario – yes! September 2010 RCPSC

Part-Time Residency Training • Must make application to the RCPSC, approved by PD and Postgraduate Dean • Must be requested in advance • RCPSC Credentials Committee will review, on a case-by-case basis, the maximum number of fractional years allowable to complete residency training • Within any block of residency training, the part time commitment must equal at least 50 percent of that of a full-time resident September 2010 RCPSC

Part-Time Residency Training • Program director must provide a syllabus for the applicant's entire residency program, including both fractional and full-time components • Program director must certify that the supervision and assessment of the fractional resident is at least equivalent to that of other residents in the residency program and that the total educational experience is fully equivalent to normal full-time residency. September 2010 RCPSC

Transfers - Principles • Flexibility is desirable - creates a more positive and dynamic learning atmosphere • Reduces anxiety for medical students and residents who feel the pressure of making a career choice before they are ready. • 7-8% of residents request a transfer each year September 2010 RCPSC

Transfers - Questions • What is the transfer policy? • Is there a minimum time to serve in PGY1 before transferring? • Should a resident tell his/her PD they want to transfer? • Should they do an elective first to see if they like it? • Compassionate/Family reasons should take priority? • Who funds extra training required? September 2010 RCPSC

Electives • Postgraduate Office needs to know • What is your process? Do you or the PGME office have it on their website? • Is there an application form? • Is there a fee? September 2010 RCPSC

Thank you! Please fee free to contact us with comments or suggestions about this or future sessions: Sharon Cameron – camerons@mcmaster.ca Loreta Muharuma – loreta.muharuma@utoronto.ca Nicholas Snider – nicholas.snider@queensu.ca September 2010 RCPSC

Turn Down the Heat!