photo by Dana Johnson
Enhanced opportunities await incoming residents
Vanderbilt's residency program has grown significantly since it began in 1925 with an incoming house staff of 12. Eighty years later, with about 230 new residents and clinical fellows preparing for orientation, the residency program is more popular and successful than ever.
The first page of the house staff manual sets the tone for education:
“Welcome to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. You are now part of an institution that has built a strong reputation as a leader in medical education of health professionals, research in medical science and patient care throughout the Southeast and the nation.”
The growing number of residents reflects more educational opportunities, according to Fred K. Kirchner Jr., M.D., associate dean for Graduate Medical Education.
Incoming residents can specialize in 61 different areas, with 10 categorical areas and numerous subspecialties. The major areas are Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, Medicine, Neurology, Ob/Gyn, Pathology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Radiology/Nuc-lear Medicine and Surgery.
Orientation includes briefings about benefits, OSHA regulations, patient communication, confidentiality standards and general work guidelines. General topics, like parking and health screenings, will be covered today, the first day of orientation. Activities for new house staff members conclude with a welcome picnic on Olin Hall lawn from 4-7 p.m.
Departmental orientations in the various specialty areas will be held June 28-29. All new house staff members begin work on July 1.