Middle manager role of the chief medical resident: an organizational psychologist's perspective.
The role of the chief resident in internal medicine is examined through the eyes of an organizational psychologist who, over a 3-year period, met with each of 6 groups of chief residents for an average of 1 hour a week over the 12 months of the job. Based on this experience, the chief resident job is conceptualized as a middle management role with 4 distinct types of tasks: up work, down work, lateral work, and internal work. Core challenges facing the chief residents at each stage of the chief resident year are also identified. The paper concludes with a description of "lessons" learned in 5 areas (sliding up or sliding down, losing contact, splitting, scapegoating, and losing sight of the system) for improving the effectiveness of the chief resident role.
Berg
David Nelson
DN
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. david.berg@yale.edu
Huot
Stephen Joseph
SJ
D006801:Humans; D007325:Institutional Practice; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007857:Leadership; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008486:Physician Executives; D010819:Physician's Role