Experiences and reflections of former pediatric chief residents

To compare actual and ideal time commitments of pediatric chief residents between 1972 and 1992 and to determine if actual time commitments have changed.

Descriptive, cross-sectional survey.

One thousand two hundred eighty-four former pediatric chief residents.

Chief residents between 1972 and 1982 spent a greater percentage of time teaching and providing patient care than chief residents between 1983 and 1992. Chief residents between 1983 and 1992 spent a greater percentage of time scheduling and performing other administrative tasks. In general, chief residents desired more time to teach, to conduct research, and to provide outpatient care and desired less time for scheduling and for performing other administrative duties.

Although chief residents desire to spend more time teaching and less time performing administrative tasks, administrative duties have increased at the expense of teaching and patient care responsibilities over the past 20 years.