title: Feasibility of an innovative third-year chief resident system: an internal medicine residency leadership study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of the internal medicine chief resident includes various administrative, academic, social, and educational responsibilities, fulfillment of which prepares residents for further leadership tasks. However, the chief resident position has historically only been held by a few residents. As fourth-year chief residents are becoming less common, we considered a new model for rotating third-year residents as the chief resident.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online surveys were given to all 29 internal medicine residents in a single university-based program after implementation of a leadership curriculum and specific job description for the third-year chief resident. Chief residents evaluated themselves on various aspects of leadership. Participation was voluntary. Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS version 21.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen junior (first- or second-year) resident responses reported that the chief residents elicited input from others (mean rating 6.8), were committed to the team (6.8), resolved conflict (6.7), ensured efficiency, organization and productivity of the team (6.7), participated actively (7.0), and managed resources (6.6). Responses from senior residents averaged 1 point higher for each item; this pattern repeated itself in teaching evaluations. Chief resident self-evaluators were more comfortable running a morning report (8.4) than with being chief resident (5.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The feasibility of preparing internal medicine residents for leadership roles through a rotating PGY-3 (postgraduate year) chief residency curriculum was explored at a small internal medicine residency, and we suggest extending the study to include other programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Victor O
authors.initials: VO
authors.lastname: Kolade
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Staton
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jayarajan
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Nanette K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.affiliation: Cookeville Regional Medical Group, 1 Medical Center Boulevard, Cookeville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
keywords: chief resident; graduate medical education; internal medicine; leadership; physician leadership; postgraduate year; residents; skill evaluation