Reflections from Anesthesia Resident Co-Chiefs: Drs. Jessica Nguyen and Sean Leung

As the end of their term as Resident Co-Chiefs approaches, we thank Drs. Jessica Nguyen (PGY3) and Sean Leung (PGY4) for their thoughtful leadership, their commitment to building community, and their advocacy on behalf of residents. They reflect on their most meaningful accomplishments, memorable moments, and lessons learned during their term.

What accomplishments as co-chiefs are you most proud of from this past year?

Jessica Nguyen (JN):
I am most proud of how we have been able to bring residents together. With over 100 residents and multiple sites across the city, it can be difficult to get to know your co-residents. With the events we had last year, from Resident Education Day, to Sports Day, to even the Jeopardy games we had at Town Hall, it felt satisfying to create the opportunity for people to know their co-residents as more than just colleagues.

Sean Leung (SL):
I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a co-chief with Jessica - I feel we have been able to build upon what is already a great program, and nurtured a sense of community between all years. I'm especially proud of having worked hard to be a voice for the residents, advocating for positive changes in culture and education. Whether it was sitting down and chatting with the residents at various REC meetings, working with the Curriculum Committee, or planning some awesome events with our Resident Council, I feel purposeful with everything we pulled off this year, and we hope the residents feel this impact too.

Any memorable moments or highlights you’d like to share?

JN:
A memorable moment for me was when our resident council sent out our wellness package to the PGY5s the week that they were writing the Royal College exam. This has historically been a very stressful time for our seniors, and I was proud that we were able to show our support to them as co-residents. It was really heartwarming to read the messages of encouragement that staff, fellows, and residents around the city wrote to our colleagues! 

SL:
I personally loved the reactions of the residents to getting Egg Club breakfast at Resident Education Day, and also seeing how many people went and bought Dr. Hannah Wunsch's book after she spoke with us. Sports Day is also near and dear to my heart and as always, I love seeing the different cohorts face it off in a challenge of more teamwork than strength.

How did you strengthen connections among residents across different training years and sites?

Together:
This has always been a challenge with the size of our program and number of training sites, but some things that we did to strengthen these connections was by organizing social events for people to come together. Resident Education Day, the End-of-Year Social, as well as in-person Town Halls have given us the chance to foster relationships between residents. As well, we organized an informal mentorship program for our PGY1s to have a senior buddy to talk to during the transition to residency.

What will you take with you from this experience?

JN:
For me, I think that this experience has taught me that leaders cannot succeed without a strong team supporting them. Our council was paramount in our successes as co-chiefs - they planned our events perfectly, executed a great clothing sale, and implemented our wellness initiatives without a hitch. Our resident council was also a great resource for us to survey what the general resident body was feeling/needed. For example, we knew that the Academic Half Day curriculum was something we wanted to tackle early on because our council had voiced it at the beginning of our term. 

SL:
The co-chief term has taught me that a strong team can breathe life into ideas. Setting aside time to brainstorm, plan, schedule, and delegate can work wonders in making your projects come true. Moving forward, I'll take with me the knowledge that taking the extra time to make the workplace into a community is worth it many times over. 

What advice would you give to the incoming co-chiefs?

JN:
My advice would be to have clear objectives for your term as chief before you start. Before we started our term, Sean and I made a list of things we wanted to achieve together, including improving PGY5 wellness around exam time, creating a newsletter for residents to have quick access to events coming up, and helping incoming residents to feel more welcome and supported. Outlining these goals specifically helped us to stick to our vision and do a better job at achieving them.

SL:
The program administration and the program directors are an essential resource and key part of your team. Get to know them, talk to them, and trust them. You will unlock many more opportunities that way and the ride will definitely be smoother. Also, touch in frequently with your co-chief... there's a lot of little tasks that will pop up, and you will need to work together to keep on top of everything!

We wish Jessica and Sean all the best as they wrap up their co-chief term and continue into the next stage of their training and careers.