Firm System The firm system forms the centerpiece of the entire program. Under this system, the house staff is evenly divided into three groups, each overseen by two full-time faculty members (the Firm Leader and Assistant Firm Leader) and a dedicated Chief Resident. These leaders work to ensure the delivery of top quality education for the house staff while providing top quality care to their patients. During all three years of training, residents remain in the same firm, working alongside the same peers and firm-specific faculty members. Each firm rotates together through the general medical and specialty wards, and attends the same clinic site as teams. Thus, each firm is a community in which peer and resident-faculty relationships benefit from continuity, close supervision, mentoring, and camaraderie. In the intensive care units, ambulatory didactics, and elective months, as well as during other rotations, residents work across firms, allowing them to establish relationships with all of the residents in the program and to draw on the guidance and expertise of the entire faculty who are available to and work with all firms.
