The Program Director and Program Coordinator Relationship

“Program directors and coordinators have tremendous responsibility for developing, overseeing, and improving residency or fellowship programs, implementing changes based on the current accreditation requirements, and preparing for accreditation site visits and review by the ACGME Review Committees.”¹ This statement by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) lays out one of the most important relationships in a residency program—the director and coordinator. While each role has its distinct responsibility and oversight, this relationship can truly reach its potential when thought of as a dyad.

A dyad relationship can be defined in health care as “the pairing of a physician with a non-physician administrator for strategic and operational oversight.”² In most dyad relationships in health care, the physician leader will typically assume responsibility for clinical work and vision while the administrative leader will operationalize the vision. Their roles touch every corner of the program and set the cultural tone for all program personnel.

In the infancy of a program director and program coordinator dyad relationship, a solid foundation must be established. Each dyad partner must clearly understand his or her key function and roles, in addition to that of their partner. Each program should define these. Dyad partners must have the capability, and willingness, to communicate effectively. In fostering these aspects of a solid foundation, a few best practices can be adapted into every program. First, it is imperative that dyad partners have access to each other through regularly scheduled and protected meeting times to ensure that there is an intentional time to connect and prioritize. Action plans and succinct huddles should be utilized in these settings. Next, dyad leaders must create a culture of trust by creating team norms and supporting each other in their specific roles, allowing their counterpart to make decisions that align with their shared vision and program mission. Lastly, programs must equip dyad partners with the essential training and resources to thrive in their roles. Rarely do program directors or coordinators step into their role primed for success, therefore, leadership training, communication exercises, conference attendance, and mentorships should be integrated while building the dyad foundation.

Program leadership has the enormous responsibility, and honor, of overseeing training programs as well as facilitating the development of residents and fellows. By pairing 2 leaders with varying skill sets and experiences, programs experience synergy, demonstrating that a dyad is better than individuals alone. Together, a supportive and communicative dyad partnership is rarely triangulated or dissuaded from their goal—which is to train independently practicing family physicians that positively impact the communities to which they ultimately serve.

• © 2023 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.