• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Role of the residency program coordinator

Residency Program Connection, April 8, 2008

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Residency Program Connection!

The residency coordinator plays a pivotal role in the management of the residency program. Since the program director, chief residents, and faculty have clinical responsibilities which demand much of their time, the coordinator is usually the only person associated with the program whose time is devoted 100% to the administration of the program.  

Communication and interpersonal skills are vital in the performance of the coordinator's duties. The coordinator is the first point of contact for prospective applicants, professional organizations, institutional GME offices, and virtually anyone else needing information or assistance from the residency program. The coordinator serves as a liaison in many ways, including between program director and residents, program director and chief residents, residents and faculty, administrative staff and residents, professional societies and residents, as well as many others. 

Organizational skills and the determination of priorities are other essential tools in the coordinator's arsenal. Meeting deadlines and coordinating the routine and ongoing responsibilities of the office, such as semiannual resident reviews, requires the ability to appropriately triage the work of the office. The demands of data collection and maintenance of documentation required for accreditation, recruitment, appointment and credentialing, and budget and payroll require a high level of managerial skill to successfully and efficiently manage a residency program. Residency coordinators are truly miracle workers! 

Best,

Dianna Otterstad
Radiology Residency/Fellowship Coordinator
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Residency Program Connection!

• Comment
• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive

Comments