FAQs
Residents are given a 7-month continuous block of research guaranteed during their PGY4 year. The emphasis is on high-impact, hypothesis-based research. Residents may be allotted up to 12 months of research if they have gained significant traction and require additional time to complete their work.
Residents take calls in week-long blocks from 7 a.m. Friday to the following Friday at 7 a.m. This usually means just answering pages from patients if they call with concerns after 5 p.m. during the week. On the weekend the on-call person must remain in town to see any urgent inpatient consults with the attending and assist with treatments if needed.
At the beginning of the year the chief resident makes the call schedule keeping in mind any dates that the residents request to have off. Call is divided between the six residents. This amounts to about ten weeks of call a year for PGY2s and seven weeks of call for the chief resident. PGY2s do not have any call the first month. Holidays are split up evenly among the residents. Trading call is allowed and the other residents are usually very accommodating should someone need to trade call.
The clinical didactic series is one of the highlights of the residency program. It is carefully planned and organized one year in advance. The curriculum is based on six-to-eight week "disease blocks" moderated by site-specific faculty members at the main campus.
Clinical didactics occur on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8 a.m. Multiple faculty are actively involved at each session, and participation is generally robust. All educational time is strictly protected, and residents are prohibited from engaging in clinical responsibilities during lecture.
Physics and radiation biology lectures are given weekly, year-round. Lectures are provided by departmental physics and radiation biology staff, including our physician scientist faculty.
In accordance with University policy, all residents are provided 15 days of vacation a year. This is in addition to 10 days of sick leave. It does not need to be taken in week-long blocks but rather can be taken a day at a time. Requests for vacation should be made a month in advance. Around the holidays an effort is made to have two residents in clinic so that everyone is not on vacation at the same time (but to reiterate, there is still no cross coverage).
This information is available at the following sites (network credentials required):
For additional information contact the KUMC Benefits Manager for assistance.
Currently, the residents rotate at the main campus on Rainbow Boulevard, plus two months doing pediatrics at our southwest office. Additional electives can be arranged at the discretion of the program director.
No, residents are able to meet their ACGME case requirements with our patient volume at KU Medical Center. This includes an ample volume of pediatric, lymphoma and gynecologic cases.
Yes, residents with accepted presentations at a conference will receive financial support to help pay for the cost of travel and lodging. Additional presentations are typically covered at the discretion of the program director.
Residents receive a $1,500 allowance each year to pay for books, educational resources, board fees, etc. These funds can generally be used at the discretion of the resident as long as purchases serve an educational purpose.
All residents are provided free garage parking onsite, a short walk from the department. Additionally, residents are provided a free membership at the Kirmayer Fitness Center located across the street from the department. This is a 50,000-square-foot facility of cardiovascular and strength training equipment, racquetball/squash courts, basketball court, two group fitness studios, a suspended walking/jogging track and a 75-foot-long lap aquatic pool. It is quite common for residents (and faculty) to use this facility before and/or after work.
There are a variety of options for living. Kansas City is known for its affordability and high quality of life for both singles and for family-oriented residents. Most of our residents either live within a short (10-15 minute) commute from work or even within walking distance. Some of our residents have purchased single-family homes in surrounding neighborhoods.