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Journey to Authenticity: Voices of Chief Residents available through Council website
CHICAGO, May 23, 2007
– Every year, thousands of newly-minted physicians, fresh out of medical school, begin the next stage of their journeys to become board-certified doctors: their residency programs. Over the next three to seven years, these young doctors practice and learn their chosen specialties under the supervision of experienced doctors. In the last year of their education, some of these residents become chief residents. They may be appointed by the faculty or elected by their peers; they may be the only chief resident or one of many. All, however, are chosen for their strong clinical skills and excellent leadership abilities.
The ACGME has collected the stories of 20 chief residents in a new book, Journey to Authenticity: Voices of Chief Residents. The chief residents, who were recommended by their program directors to be featured in this volume, reflect on their passages from interns to chief residents in a series of frank, in-depth interviews. They talk about why they became doctors, what they have learned about themselves and their profession, and how they have changed and grown. One physician talks about how his grandfather inspired him to become a doctor. Another chief resident describes the deep bond that developed among the residents in her class. A surgeon reflects on what she learned from caring for hospice patients. An ophthalmologist explains why he walked away from his career as a Wall Street trader and went to medical school. They talk about difficult cases, moments of doubt, leaps of confidence, the encouragement of mentors and the support of their families.
There is no steeper learner curve in medicine than residency,” noted ACGME Executive Director David C. Leach, MD. “The dramatic differences between interns and chief residents can only be described as a journey to authenticity, a journey in which physicians discover both clinical wisdom and themselves.”
Journey to Authenticity: Voices of Chief Residents (ISBN 0-9794018-0-1), a 128-page, four-color hardcover book, can be purchased for $75 on the ACGME’s website, www.acgme.org.
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The ACGME is a private, non-profit organization that accredits 8,200 residency programs in 126 specialties and subspecialties that educate 103,000 residents. Its mission is to improve the quality of health care in the United States by assessing and advancing the quality of resident physicians’ education.
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