Residency is already tough enough. At Geisinger, we know how hard it is to sometimes just be a resident, much less, try to figure out what your next step will be tomorrow, the next day, next month, and the next few years. Here are a few ways we try to help mentor you through the process of residency and in preparation for the years to come:
1. Monthly meeting with your specific, assigned Associate Program Director (APD)
These meetings are primarily designed to make sure you as a resident are surviving and hopefully thriving. Specific topics covered are typically unique to the resident but focus on wellness, studying, defining rotation specific goals, maintaining a work-life balance, research goals, and future planning. They are intended to be an informal way for your APD to communicate with you in addition to keep you grounded and motivated.
2. "Big-Little" Mentorship Program
Designed a few years ago in an effort to pair incoming interns with 3rd year Med-Peds residents. Each third year resident is paired based on interests, passions, etc with an incoming intern. They are meant to help the intern get to know Danville, the hospital, and be able to meet on at least a monthly basis to help prepare the intern for each upcoming rotation.
3. Program Director Meetings - every 6 months
Our program director (Dr. Davis) always makes a point to keep an open door policy for any resident who needs to talk, who is struggling or who needs to just blow off steam after a hard day. Two times a year, he individually meets with each resident to go over their program evaluations, various scores, look back at goals, and set new goals for the next 6 months. He is a phenomenal resource for residents especially in strategically planning how to set goals and what it will take to reach those goals. He also is fantastic at connecting residents with mentors in fields of interests and setting up other mentor-mentee relationships to foster further development.
4. Switch parties
Our program places a strong emphasis on supporting residents during Med-Peds transition periods. For the first time interns switch between Pediatrics and Internal Medicine rotations, we host dedicated gatherings to help them acclimate to new workflows, expectations, and learning environments. Through mentorship from upper-level Med-Peds residents, interns receive practical advice, encouragement, and reassurance during what can otherwise be a challenging adjustment. These events exemplify our program's commitment to resident wellness, camaraderie, and success.
5. Developing Geisinger Med-Peds Alumni Network
Over the past several years, one of the biggest priorities of our growing program is to develop a thriving, integrated network of Alumni who are available to be resources for the next generation of Med-Peds physicians. We have alumni located all over the country - and this continues to grow every year! If you can dream it, there is probably a Geisinger Med-Peds graduate who has done it. We are extremely fortunate to have graduates who are passionate about Med-Peds and are passionate about giving back to Geisinger's program.
