Palmer College of Chiropractic

Davenport Campus Only

Job description

Residency Assistants are senior-level students on the Davenport Campus who assist Resident Mentors and Residents with certain defined patient care activities, scholarly activities, and a variety of educational tasks.

Purpose

The purpose of the Residency Assistant Program is twofold:

• To provide an additional learning opportunity for senior-level students, who desire increased exposure to a certain discipline, as a capstone experience to their clinical education;
• To provide assistance to Resident Mentors and Residents in clinical, scholarly, and educational activities. As such, this program is considered a Level III clinic program.

Hours

Residency Assistants are required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week. Days and hours are arranged with the assigned Resident Mentor or Resident.

Salary

Residency Assistants approved for workstudy funds will be paid at the rate of $15 per hour. Residency Assistants who do not qualify for workstudy funds may request to have their Clinic III requirement of 60 qualitative evaluations waived, however, all quantitative requirements must still be met for completion of the Clinic III course.

Certificate of Merit award

Residency Assistants who successfully fulfill their role will be awarded a Certificate of Merit during the Graduation Awards Convocation.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Passing score on the 9th Trimester Clinic OSCE examination.
• Enrollment in the Clinic III course.
• Clearance for Level II clinics.
• Completion of a minimum of 50% of clinic quantitative requirements by the beginning of the Clinic III course.
• Must be considered in “good academic standing”.
• Must have a minimum grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale.
• If applying for work-study pay, must be eligible.
• Acceptance for a position by a Resident Mentor or Resident who may require an interview process and/or written or practical examination.

Responsibilities:

• As directed by the Resident Mentor or Resident, supervise and assist interns in their performance of physical examinations.
• As directed by the Resident Mentor or Resident, supervise and assist interns in their performance of chiropractic analyses.
• As directed by the Resident Mentor or Resident, assist interns with developing appropriate clinical impressions and patient care plans.
• As directed by the Resident Mentor or Resident, assist interns with patient record keeping.
• Assist the Resident Mentor or Resident with education-related needs including word processing, filing, copying, dissemination of materials, and other activities.
• Assist the Resident Mentor or Resident with maintaining an orderly patient care environment including office organization, supplies in adjusting and physical exam rooms, etc.
• Assist the Resident Mentor or Resident with the completion of insurance forms.
• Communicate with interns and patients, to set up appointments or to follow-up on an issue, as requested by the Resident Mentor or Resident.
• Assist Resident Mentors and Residents with scholarly activities including but not limited to research of related residency topics through computer and/or library resources.
• Attend specific residency meetings upon request of the Resident Mentor or the Resident.

(Please note that Residency Assistants may not supervise patient adjustments. The term “patient” in this context refers to all categories of patients.)

Accountability:

• Residency Assistants are directly accountable to the Resident Mentor or Resident to whom they are assigned. Faculty satisfaction with the Residency Assistant’s work will be the primary method of assessing accountability.
• Residency Assistants are directly accountable to the Financial Planning Office for submission of accurate time sheets.
• Residency Assistants are indirectly responsible to the Director of Clinic Capstone Programs by submitting completed time sheets to the director by the designated date.
• Due to the confidential nature of patient care activities, the Residency Assistant is responsible to maintain absolute confidentiality of all patient encounters whether through direct contact with the patient or through indirect contact via patient records.

Program Administration:

• The Residency Assistant Program is managed through the Clinic Capstone Programs Office, an office of the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics.
• The Financial Planning Office approves the work-study aspect of the program.

Mental and Physical Requirements:

• The Residency Assistant will have the ability to effectively communicate.
• The Residency Assistant will have the ability to work in a cooperative manner with members of a team-oriented healthcare setting.
• The Residency Assistant will have the ability to work a flexible schedule.
• The Residency Assistant will have the ability to work a minimum of 10 hours a week.
• The Residency Assistant will have the ability to act as a role model for peers.

Required Attire

Residency Assistants must dress in accordance with the clinic policy on Professional Attire.

Equipment and Tools

• • Must have the ability to operate general office equipment.
• • Must be knowledgeable in the use of chiropractic equipment.
• • Must be knowledgeable in the use of standard diagnostic equipment.

All Residency Assistants who fulfill their assigned role will be granted a certificate of merit at the end of the term during the graduation awards convocation ceremony.

To obtain information on the Residency Assistants program, please contact:

Julie A. Schrad, D.C., M.S. Associate Dean of Clinical Education/Clinic Capstone Programs
Phone (563) 884-5818
Fax (563) 884-5822
E-mail: julie.schrad@palmer.edu 

Sonya Mohr Administrative Assistant/Clinic Capstone Programs
Phone (563) 884-5819
Fax (563) 884-5822
E-mail: abigail.cox@palmer.edu 

Mailing address:
Palmer College of Chiropractic
1000 Brady Street
Davenport, IA 52803-5287