Postdoctoral Researcher of Medical Education Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Springfield, Illinois, United States
Abstract: Clinical residents play a key role in bridging health professions education and patient care within complex healthcare systems. However, previous research has tended to focus on specific facets of residents’ responsibilities, such as patient care, education, or supervision. As the roles of residents require similar skills to those of middle managers, Human Resource Development (HRD) approach can be applicable here to gain a comprehensive understanding of the contributions and growth opportunities within healthcare settings, from a holistic perspective. A systematic literature review was conducted to bridge the existing gap in understanding the multifarious roles of residents. A total of 33 articles were selected for analysis based on their alignment with the research objectives. The thematic analysis of the literature revealed four main roles of residents from the two aspects: (1) clinical care, (2) supervision, (3) teaching, and (4) learning from (5) personal and (6) interpersonal aspects. These roles and aspects collectively encompass the multifaceted contributions that residents make to patient care and medical education. A comparison between the roles of clinical residents in healthcare settings and the roles of middle managers in organizations reveals that both clinical residents and middle managers play pivotal roles in skill development, leadership, knowledge transfer, learning and development, personal attributes, and interpersonal interactions within their respective domains. Recognizing these similarities can lead to valuable cross-disciplinary insights and the application of best practices to enhance their effectiveness in their roles.
