Guides, comparisons and stories on residency scheduling
How-to guides for chiefs and coordinators, side-by-side looks at scheduling software, case studies from programs like Boston Children’s and UVA, and Chiefly updates.
Children’s National pilots Chiefly’s Swap Portal: never-before flexibility for residents, 85% took part, ~350x less admin time
For the first time, Children’s National residents could trade their own blocks. After the 2026-27 block schedule went out three months early, residents got a month in Chiefly’s Swap Portal and made the schedule theirs: about 85% of those who could swap took part, 67 finished with a schedule they had shaped, two thirds of the residents who asked moved vacation to the weeks that fit their lives, and most of the rest moved core rotations to see a subspecialty sooner. The chiefs spent an hour or less on the whole month: nearly half the requests were settled among residents, and the 107 approved swaps took 15 to 30 seconds each.
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UTHealth Houston’s general surgery residency renews with Chiefly. Its program director explains why.
UTHealth Houston’s general surgery residency, Chiefly’s first surgical program, built its 2026-27 block schedule on Chiefly. The chief resident ran it: a revised schedule came back in an hour instead of hours in Excel, and no understaffing surprises turned up this year. Sasha Adams, MD, FACS, the program director, on why it renewed.
Read the case studyChildren’s National forms a five-year partnership to use Chiefly. Find out why.
Children’s National released its 2026-27 block schedule on February 18, three months earlier than the year before, with one chief instead of four. The first draft took under an hour; tinkering took a week instead of five to seven weeks in Excel. Then, for the first time in Children’s National history, residents could seamlessly swap their blocks in Chiefly’s Swap Portal. Each swap is checked against the rules and can be reviewed and approved by a chief in seconds.
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Chiefly helps Augusta University’s family medicine residency navigate a 30% complement increase
Augusta University’s family medicine residency went from 35 residents to 49 in one build, as Eisenhower Army Medical Center’s residents joined its calendar. The two people who build it changed rules and re-ran the calendar themselves, finished in weeks instead of months, and never waited on an email when they needed to change.
Read the case studyACGME duty hour rules for residents (2026): 80 hours, 24+4 and the proposed changes
Every ACGME duty hour limit in the July 1, 2026 Common Program Requirements, with section numbers: how the 80-hour average really works, the 24+4 rule, time off, call, and what ACGME’s proposed revision for 2028 would change.
Read the guideHow chief residents make the block schedule, step by step
Chief residents usually build the year’s block schedule with no scheduling training. Here is the order that works, from gathering requirements to managing changes, plus how long it takes, when to finish, call and holiday call, and common mistakes.
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