The chief resident in psychiatry: roles and responsibilities.

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric residency programs have had chief residents for many years, and several articles previously published describe the chief residents' unique role as both faculty and resident. This article describes chief resident roles and responsibilities and explores trends in academic psychiatry departments from 1995 to 2006. METHODS: The authors mailed a survey about the roles and responsibilities of chief resident positions to psychiatric residency training directors using the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT) mailing list in 1995 and e-mailed the AADPRT e-mail list in 2006. Data were collected by mail in 1995 and collected in 2006 by a web-based survey similar to the instrument used in 1995. RESULTS: Joint selection of chief resident by faculty and residents, 12-month terms, protected time for administrative duties, and written job descriptions were helpful features common to most programs. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that the majority of general psychiatry residency programs use the joint selection method with a negotiated job description, as well as a 12-month term.

Teaching implications of different educational theories and approaches.

Educational theory can and should form the basis for teaching in veterinary medicine. Nevertheless, formal training for teachers in veterinary medicine is uncommon and rarely includes study of different educational theories or perspectives, leaving educators to rely on informal or "hidden" educational constructs to guide them in their everyday teaching. Using a modified case-based format, we present critiques of a hypothetical teaching scenario from four different educational viewpoints: behaviorist, cognitive, social learning, and inspired teaching approaches. The importance and utility of formal educational theory in faculty development is discussed.

Educational perspectives: a discussion of teaching among colleagues.

Educational perspectives can be useful guides to our teaching in psychiatry. Nevertheless, formal training about teaching in psychiatry is uncommon and rarely includes the study of educational perspectives or theory that underlies teaching. Using a modified case-based format, the authors present three different critiques of a hypothetical faculty member who teaches from a behavioral learning perspective. Feedback from faculty with cognitive, social learning, and interpersonal-inspiration perspectives is provided. The value and application of understanding educational perspectives in teaching is discussed.