> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.planmyrounds.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Setting up departments

> Define the departments your organisation uses to group doctors, filter rosters and the dashboard, and scope Auto Duty, alongside locations and pods.

A **department** groups doctors by clinical or organisational unit, for example *Cardiology* or *Emergency Medicine*. It's one of three independent ways to slice your team, alongside [location](https://www.planmyrounds.com/docs/team/locations.md) and pod.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Department, location, and pod are independent of each other. Use department for the clinical or organisational unit a doctor belongs to, location for the physical site they work from, and pod for a smaller sub-group within a department.

## Add a department

**1. Open Departments**

Go to **Settings**, then **Organization**, then select the **Departments** tab.

**2. Start a new department**

Select **Add Department**.

**3. Name it**

Enter a **Department Name**, for example *Cardiology*, and an optional **Description**.

**4. Save**

Select **Create**. The department is immediately available to assign to doctors and to filter by.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Only admins can add or edit departments.

## Assign doctors to a department

Open a doctor's profile, select **Edit**, and set their **Department**. See [Doctor profiles](https://www.planmyrounds.com/docs/team/doctor-profiles.md).

Each department in the Departments list shows how many doctors are currently assigned to it.

## Edit a department

Select the edit icon next to a department to update its name or description. Changes apply immediately; a doctor's own department assignment isn't affected.

## What department scopes

| Feature | How department is used |
| - | - |
| **Auto Duty** | Part of the doctor pool filter, alongside pod and location. |
| **Rosters** | Filter when selecting a team, and when browsing the Duty Plans list. |
| **Dashboard and Duty Calendar** | Available as a filter, alongside location. |
| **Leave Calendar** | Available as a filter, alongside pod, doctor, and seniority. |

## Next steps

> **[Update a doctor's profile](https://www.planmyrounds.com/docs/team/doctor-profiles.md)**
>
> Assign doctors to the departments they belong to.

> **[Setting up locations](https://www.planmyrounds.com/docs/team/locations.md)**
>
> Define the physical sites your organisation runs from.

> **[Setting up pods](https://www.planmyrounds.com/docs/team/pods.md)**
>
> Add a smaller grouping within a department.

> **[Set up an Auto Duty](https://www.planmyrounds.com/docs/auto-duty-planning/setting-up-an-auto-duty.md)**
>
> Scope a recurring duty plan to a specific department.


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