Duties and Responsibilities
Night Call and Weekend DutiesCall responsibilities are divided into short and long call divisions. Call is taken in addition to the resident’s primary rotation with appropriate time off post call to meet work hour guidelines.
Residents work day is from 8am to 5pm daily.
Resident call duties in house are every fourth night
a. short night: 5pm to 10pm weeknights in house (with faculty or senior residents for first twelve months of residency)
b. short weekend day: 8am-5pm (with faculty or senior resident for first twelve months of residency)
c. long night: 5pm to 8am in house, alternating with short night
Faculty back up for diagnostic/trauma and interventional procedures
Faculty review of resident interpretations:
a. 7am every day for overnight call
b. ongoing during weekend day
Residents are encouraged to work as a team so that prompt accurate medical care is provided. These residents provide preliminary interpretation of conventional studies for both inpatients and emergency department patients and ensure that pertinent information is accurately and efficiently conveyed to the referring physicians. These residents are representatives of the department and are responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of our services while on their shift. These residents need to be available for consultation with emergency department staff and resident physicians to demonstrate radiology’s commitment to attentive, responsive medical service.
With regards to all call, if ever a clinical problem arises with which the resident is uncomfortable in handling, there is always faculty on duty or on call for immediate assistance. Vascular-Interventional Radiology call is primarily delegated to the resident on that service.
The resident will be asked to make judgments as to whether imaging is indicated in a particular clinical setting, and if so, what sequence should be followed. Coordination with on-call technologists and physicians is necessary. It is expected that the resident will be able to expedite most problems. To do this effectively, the resident has to maintain a close liaison with clinical colleagues and be familiar with the patient.
On duty residents are responsible for reviewing examinations with radiology faculty at the 7am review time and before going off duty at the end of the day as appropriate. As in regular daily work, follow-up of interesting patients can be very educational.
Similar responsibilities apply to weekends and holidays. The resident who is to be relieved has an obligation to stay and continue to function until an orderly transition is possible. The incoming resident should receive a verbal/written sign out regarding any problems or scheduled examinations still to be performed.
The chief resident is in charge of resident daily schedules including conferences and handles on-call issues. Evening call rotation, weekends and holidays, are scheduled as evenly as possible, by the chief residents. Holiday coverage can usually be arranged so that no resident will be required to cover the same holiday more than once during a four-year period. All residents are expected to share call. Absence due to illness or other emergencies will have to be “repaid” to the replacement resident. If there is variation from the printed monthly call schedule, the resident on duty is responsible to inform the hospital operator of the change.
Post Call Time Off
Residents are on call an average of every fourth night (including weekends). On call residents are off duty for 24 hours
a. after each overnight call
b. after one weekend day/week
Duty hours average 65hours/week over a 4 week period
Night Call Qualifying Examination
Before beginning long emergency radiology rotations, every resident must pass a Night Call
Qualifying Examination. The initial exam is given in the Fall. If necessary, repeat examination is
offered before the resident is allowed to proceed to long night duty rotations.
Vacations
Each resident is entitled to four calendar weeks (twenty weekdays) of vacation per year; these days must be used in the given academic year and do not roll-over. Leave request forms must be completed by the resident and signed by the appropriate section-chief prior to submission to the chief residents. No more than one week of vacation per 3-month service assignment is permitted. Approval for more than one consecutive week of vacation must be scheduled before the beginning of the year so that it can span two blocks (last week of one and first week of the other) and is not guaranteed.
Every effort is made to allow residents to obtain vacation when they wish, provided service assignments and night/weekend call can be adequately covered. Residents can expect to have limited vacation time available during July when fewer trained residents are on duty. Times of the major radiological meetings (RSNA, ARRS, AUR) and American Board of Radiology or in-service examination times are also not suitable for vacation.
Up to four academic days are allotted for job/fellowship interviews; any time away beyond four days is counted as vacation time. Please plan appropriately.
The proper procedure to request away time is:
Complete an away request
Obtain signature of the section chief for that rotation/time
Return the signed request to your Chief Resident to assure that night/weekend call is covered.
Once signed by the Chief Resident, the paperwork needs to be approved by the Program Director.