[The chief clinician of universities--resident of hospitals: his pedagogic impact].

When a resident is named "Chef de Clinique des Universités-Assistant des Hôpitaux" he has reached the top rung of specialist's training in France. In addition to his role within the hospital ("Assistant des Hôpitaux"), a role learned during the residentship, the title of "Chef de Clinique des Universités" means that he has a teaching role which is acquired intuitively on the basis of experience rather than actually being taught. The resident is given no special training before, as a young "Chef", he is called upon to teach medical students, residents, nurses, physical therapists or even patients under the authority of a professor. Teaching is done in various distinct locations (University and hospital: bedside, operating theatre, emergency room, consultations) which further complicates the new situation. The aim of this work was to retrospectively examine the teaching role of the "Chef de Clinique" based on personal experience both as a resident and as "Chef". Personal experience is given as an introduction to each paragraph.