Residency Program Organization

The BCRP Executive Committee, made up of Program Directors, Associate Program Directors, Chief Residents, Residency Coordinators and administrative staff, serves as the oversight committee for the residency program (see figure). The Executive Committee, as the main governing and decision-making body for the program, meets monthly and alternates sites. A separate Scheduling Committee has responsibility for the creation of the yearly schedule of rotations and the staffing model that exists on each rotation. The Residency Program Training Committee (RPTC) was established in the 1970s and is responsible for review of the curriculum and for development of new training initiatives. The RPTC functions through ad hoc subcommittees formed to address current program initiatives and serves as a forum to discuss class reports about the state of the residency curriculum. On all subcommittees of the RPTC, there are faculty representatives from each institution, but residents elected from each class constitute the majority of the subcommittee members. The fact that residents in the Boston Combined Residency Program (BCRP) are primarily responsible for directing their own program and deciding critical details is one of the strengths of the program.

Each year, the program conducts self-study to determine the overall aims and specific curricular objectives for the year in order to direct the RPTC subcommittees annual efforts and create an innovative curriculum that provides rigorous pediatric training, meets curricular needs and accreditation requirements, and provides flexibility for professional development.  We believe the BCRP curriculum reflects the mission, vision, and values of our program and enhances the academic focus of residents, a focus that sets us apart as a pediatric residency program nationally.

BCRP Administration and Operations

The BCRP is the union of prior residency programs at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) and functions as a one integrated program with the leadership at each institution working collaboratively. At each site there are weekly meetings of the program leaders (program directors, chief residents, administrative staff, and, when appropriate, department chairs).

Regular class meetings every few months allow for exchange of ideas, information, and areas of needed improvement.  BCRP Huddles occur every other month and serve a similar function – to provide forums of the entire residency for the exchange of ideas and a focus on areas for improvement.  These gatherings provide an open forum for discussion on a variety of topics related to residency education.

In these multiple venues, we hope to continue to foster bidirectional exchange of information, ideas, and issues with the ultimate goal of constantly improving the education and training within the BCRP

Residents serve as a driving force for change in the program. They play a key role in the Residency Program Training Committee and the resident voice at class meetings and town hall meetings is pivotal to curricular development. The wonderful collaboration of residents with chief residents and program leadership is a significant feature of the BCRP.