Project Time Management for OMMC Surgical Residents
Reynaldo O. Joson, MD, MHA, MHPEd, MS Surg
2004
Time management is needed for surgical residents of Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center (OMMC) to achieve their personal goals in life, their personal goals in training as well as their duties and responsibilities as surgical residents of OMMC in the most efficient and timely way possible.
Time management is essentially a strategy to achieve one’s goals and duties and responsibilities in an organization. It is essentially a strategy to manage one’s time so that there is a timely achievement of one’s goals and duties and responsibilities. As such, it entails proper planning in terms of prioritization, deadlines, efficient approaches, and discipline (PDED)in the execution of the plan.
Traditionally, time management is a personal matter left to the surgical residents to tackle in a manner they see fit. It has always been taken for granted that they know time management. Time management is often just seen as deadlines to meet and to beat. Oftentimes, there is no proper planning and, if there is, no discipline to execute the plan. The usual outcome is no or late accomplishment of goals and duties and responsibilities resulting not only in personal frustrations but also external conflict with colleagues and authority of the department and hospital.
Project Time Management for OMMC Surgical Residents is an attempt to develop a structured and simplified way of teaching time management to surgical residents with the view of helping them achieve their personal goals in life, their goals in training, and their duties and responsibilities in the department and hospital in the most efficient and timely way possible.
Step 1. Residents with the help of consultants (in administration) identify the following:
A. Long-term goals in their life (for himself/herself, for his/her immediate family, for the community/other people).
B. Medium- and short-term goals in training to be a general surgeon
C. Targets in their duties and responsibilities as surgical residents in OMMC
In this activity, prioritization is done and only those goals and targets which are of great importance and which are achievable are listed.
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Goals in life |
| Self |
Examples: Contented at the time of my death with whatever I have accomplished and with how I have lived my life Famous general surgeon practitioner Successful general surgeon practitioner Successful general surgeon educator |
| Family |
Examples: To be able to provide my family adequately with material support and to be able to inculcate proper values To be able to bring my family to Europe for vacation |
| Others (Community) |
Examples: To be able to serve the community in whatever way I can not only as a surgeon but in other capacity To be the chairman of a department of surgery in a government hospital so as to be able to serve the underprivileged Filipino brethens |
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Goals in training |
| Medium-term goal – after graduation |
Examples: General Surgeon Diplomate of PSGS Fellow of PCS Area of practice Fellowship (Philippine or abroad) Masteral or PhD program |
| Short term goal – at present |
Examples: Pass yearly department evaluation Adequate number of patients and operations expected of my level of training Acceptable mortality and morbidity rates |
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Duties and Responsibilities in OMMC |
| Service |
Examples: Patient care – timely, accurate, safe, courteous, compassionate service No complaint No medicolegal suit |
| Training |
Examples: Pass PBS RITE Pass trimestral examinations Pass quizzes Pass oral examinations (conferences) Pass practical examinations |
| Research |
Examples: Complete one research a year Accomplish updating of research every 2 months |
| Governance / Work Ethics / Discipline |
Examples: Leadership – instill teamwork and discipline among staff Discipline in accomplishing tasks and duties (complete, on time, no tardiness, no absences) |
Step 2. Residents with the help of consultants (in administration) identify policies and procedures to achieve targets, short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals efficiently and on time.
Some policies and procedures to achieve targets and goals efficiently and on time
Service to patients is of top most priority while on duty in the hospital (office hours and 24-hour duties)
Prompt reception of patients for consult at ER and OPD
Prompt answers to referrals in ER, OPD, and wards
Prompt treatment at ER, OPD, OR, and wards
Residents should always report on time for duty (office hours and 24-hour duties)
Residents should call when cannot report for duty – at least one hour before official duty hours to chief resident or team captain for the day.
All absences should be made up and substracted from the 2-week of allotted leaves per year.
Assignments and projects will be given realistic time for completion. Deadlines will be set.
Tardiness will be disciplined with fines
At PhP 50/day during the first week post deadline
Then PHP 500 during the 2nd week post deadline
Then PhP 1000 during the 3rd week post deadline
All assignments will be posted in the egroup with set deadlines.
Submission of all assignments should be posted either in the department’s egroup or in the e-journal.
All conferences should be documented in the egroup.
The every 3-day 24-hour duty will provide surgical residents with time for rest, independent study, self-interest- and family-interest-activities. It is up to the residents to program their off-duty hours.
The annual 2-week vacation leave will provide surgical residents with time for rest, independent study, self-interest- and family-interest-activities. It is up to the residents to program this annual 2-week vacation leave.
The residents with the help of consultants (in administration) will constantly find ways to do things efficiently.
Examples:
Patient care – no need to dress clean wounds on a daily basis.
NO need for routine parenteral antibiotics.
Documentation – computerization
Others will be added as deemed necessary.
Step 3. Residents with the help of consultants (in administration) formulate performance measures and monitor the implementation of time management plan including policies and procedures in terms of accomplishment, timeliness, and tardiness.
Four performance measures
Absences
Tardiness
Quality of performance
Quality of usage of 3rd day off and vacation leaves
Step 4. Residents with the help of consultants (in administration) identify areas of improvement for the coming year.
Time Management
Performance Measures and Standards
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Performance Measures |
Standards/Targets |
Disciplinary and Remedial Actions |
| Absences in regular work day / scheduled 24-hour duty / meeting / conferences | Not more than 2 unexcused absences / per year |
NO promotion for 3 or more unexcused absences per year Absences in regular work day and 24-hour duty must be made up with certification from the Chief Resident and Senior House Officer and submitted to Chairman’s Office |
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Tardiness in regular work day and scheduled 24-hour duty |
Not more than 2 unexcused tardiness per month |
Fine for every tardiness in reporting for work A Sunday duty for every 3 unexcused tardiness aside from fines. NO promotion if total number of tardiness at end of year is 24 or more. |
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Tardiness in patient care |
Not more than 2 complaints of tardiness (late response) in patient care per year either from public or from department/hospital administration | NO promotion for 3 or more complaints of tardiness in patient care during the year |
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Tardiness in completing assigned tasks by Consultants and Chief Resident e-quizzes (weekly) e-journals (monthly) Operation logbook (every 4 months) Tabulation of operations (every 4 months) Report cards (every 4 months) Research Paper (every September 15) Others |
Not more than 2 tardiness in completing assigned tasks per month Not more than |
Fines for every tardiness in completing assigned tasks A Sunday duty for every 3 unexcused tardiness aside from fines. NO promotion if total number of tardiness at end of year is 12 or more. |
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Quality of performance Assigned tasks – complete, follow format, of at least satisfactory quality based on commonly used standards |
More than 50% of assigned tasks are of satisfactory quality | NO promotion if standards cannot be met despite coaching for improvement |
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Quality of performance Department’s evaluation (quizzes, exams – long written, oral, practical) |
PASS in all types of exams | NO promotion if with FAILING MARKS |
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Quality of performance PBS RITE |
PASS (50% MPL) | NO promotion if remedial exam |
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Quality of performance Research Paper |
SATISFACTORY GRADE | NO promotion for unsatisfactory quality of research paper |
| Quality usage of 3rd day off and vacation leaves |
A note to inform Department Administration how the 3rd day off and vacation leaves will be spent The quality of usage will be evaluated based on formulated goals in life and training. |
Advice / coaching on quality usage |