Purpose
To provide post-call academic activity guidelines for post-call residents in residency training
programs.
Principles
Academic activities are designed to complement clinical learning opportunities during rotations
and to review important subjects which residents may not otherwise learn about during their
residency training. PGME supports a work environment that promotes resident wellbeing and
encourages flexibility in the scheduling and attendance of academic activities of post-call
residents.
To assist with determining a resident’s requirement to attend an academic activity, activities can
be viewed as formative and/or summative. Formative activities may be mandatory educational
sessions that do not necessarily require a higher stakes assessment where a judgment is made
about a resident’s performance. Residents can be scheduled for call shifts the evening prior to a
pre-scheduled formative academic activity. Summative activities may be mandatory or
infrequent educational sessions that may involve assessment of the resident where a judgment
about resident’s performance is made. Residents should not be scheduled for call shifts the
evening prior to a pre-scheduled summative academic activity
| Type of Session: | Examples Include (not limited too): | Scheduling: |
| Formative: | Academic Half Day; Research Days (unless presenting) |
Residents may be scheduled the night before |
| Summative: | Exams; OSCE’s; Simulation Sessions; Research Days (when presenting) |
Residents not to be scheduled the night before |
Scope
This document applies to all medical residents and residency training programs at the College of
Medicine, University of Saskatchewan.
Guidelines
Post-Call Academic Activity Guidelines
1) Programs should make every effort to define academic activity dates at the start of the
academic year and communicate these to the residents. This is particularly important for a
small number of activities that are summative in nature (i.e., exams, oral exams/OSCEs) or
activities where high resources are invested (i.e., one-time offerings of simulation/procedural
skills training, presenting at research day). The determination of mandatory academic
activities and the format of their delivery will be at the Program Director’s discretion. Program
should make it clear that residents should avoid scheduling vacation during mandatory
academic activities.
2) It is the resident's responsibility to request time off for academic activities with the individual
rotation schedulers.
3) Attendance at routine academic activities (i.e., Academic Half Day teaching) is optional for
post-call residents, however, they may attend if they feel safe to do so.
4) For resource intensive academic sessions or summative educational activities (examinations,
oral exams/OSCEs, etc.), every attempt should be made to avoid scheduling residents to be
on call the night before these sessions. If programs are unable to offer mandatory activities
on alternative/multiple dates, no resident should be scheduled for call (in-house, home
heavy, or home light) the night before the activity is to take place.
5) A minimum of 10 hours should be provided in-between work shifts and the start of a
summative education event.
6) Residents should communicate to their rotation scheduler as soon as they are aware of a call
shift that may result in their absence from educational activities. In the case where rotations
decline a requested day off, the reason for denial will be communicated with the resident
and parent Program Director. The final decision of the request will be at the parent Program
Director’s discretion.
7) In collaboration with the program, residents are responsible for acquiring any information
missed from not attending academic activities due to being post-call. At the discretion of the
program, this may include virtual attendance options, lecture materials, handouts and/or
recordings to post-call residents later.
Responsibilities
Communication and attendance of post-call academic activities is the responsibility of the
resident.
Scheduling of post-call academic activitiesis the responsibility of the residency training programs.
Communication of scheduled resident academic activities between programs is the responsibility
of the residency training programs/Program Administrative Assistants.
Non-Compliance
Instances or concerns of non-compliance with the post-call academic activity guidelines should
be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean, PGME.
Contact
Coordinator for Academic and Non-academic Processes, PGME Office
Phone: 306-966-6145