A Survey of Neurosurgery Residency Program Coordinators: Their Roles, Responsibilities, and Perceived Value

Abstract

Objective Residency program coordinators play an important role behind the scenes, in the function of residency and fellowship programs. In addition, coordinators have significantly heterogeneous job roles among institutions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the training, responsibilities, and contribution of residency program coordinators within the field of neurosurgery. Methods A 24-question survey was submitted to 133 program coordinators, and 78 responses (59% response rate) were received. Results The survey results showed that >80% of coordinators have been in their current position for ≥3 years. Coordinators identified at least 24 unique departmental responsibilities with an average of 85% of the time devoted to residency program management. Among coordinators, 82% reported no formal training, with 60% and 55% reporting inadequate training from their department and institution, respectively. Interestingly, 84% completely or partially agreed that their work is valued by residents, 91% by the program director(s), 78% by the department chair, 62% by other faculty, and 56% by other departmental staff. Lastly, 50% of coordinators reported that their department has not been receptive to receiving feedback on how to improve the roles of the position, with 80% reporting no career advancement track. Conclusion Residency program coordinators reported a wide range of experience and responsibilities within their respective departments. The majority reported limited training for their current position, and a significant number reported not feeling valued by members of their department, suggesting two areas for improvement. As coordinators continue to play a larger role in the management and accreditation of their departments, strategies to optimize their role may be important.

Keywords: accreditation council for graduate medical education; fellowship program; neurological surgery; neurological surgery residency; program administrator; program coordinator; program director; residency programs.