University of California San Francisco
UCSF School of Medicine UCSF Medical Center

Residents as Teachers Policy

Updated On
February 13, 2024

Purpose

To outline how UCSF graduate medical education programs prepare residents and fellows for their role in teaching medical students.

Overview

Residents and fellows play an important instructional role in the clinical education of medical students. In order to fulfill that responsibility, residents and fellows need to be familiar with the competencies and milestones expected of third and fourth year medical students and have orientation and faculty development resources available to enhance their teaching and assessment skills.

Related LCME Standards

9.1: Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors

Principles

At UCSF, we value the role residents and fellows play in the teaching and learning of medical students. We believe in the importance of supporting residents and fellows in their roles as teachers and providing excellent training for this role.  

Policy

  1. All incoming residents and fellows are required to attend GME New Resident and Fellow Orientation, which includes an orientation to their roles and responsibilities as trainees and teachers.
    1. Attendance is collected and monitored centrally by the Office of GME.
    2. The orientation is scheduled as a combination of synchronous and asynchronous modules. 
    3. The orientation covers the following topics:
      1. UCSF School of Medicine (SOM) Learning Environment Policies that promote an inclusive learning environment
        1. Anti-oppression
        2. Diversity and Institutional Inclusion 
        3. Equity in Learning 
        4. Clinical Supervision of Medical Students  
        5. Duality of Interest Health Provider and Student Roles 
        6. Feedback
      2. Information on Supporting a Fair Environment (SAFE) reporting 
      3. Information on reporting to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination
  2. Residents and fellows who will teach medical students participate in departmental clerkship orientations where they receive a copy of the clerkship objectives and the clerkship schedule.
  3. Residents and fellows who evaluate or assess medical students receive an annual online attestation form requiring them to review and acknowledge receipt of the medical school’s graduation milestones and competencies and clerkship objectives.
  4. The UCSF Center for Faculty Educators and the GME College offer teaching development workshops to help faculty, residents, fellows, and instructors improve teaching skills. Attendance is monitored centrally by the Center for Faculty Educators and the Office of GME.
  5. Clinical departments offer additional teaching development workshops to residents and fellows, including topics such as the creating a positive learning climate, setting expectations on the clerkship, giving effective feedback, precepting, team leadership, and small group facilitation. Model curricula on residents-as-teachers have been developed by the Center for Faculty Educators for dissemination into residency and fellowship programs.

Accountable Dean or Director:  Associate Dean for GME

Approval Date and Governing Body: October 16, 2017, CCEP

Last Updated: February 13, 2024, CCEP