> ## 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](/docs/team/locations) 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.
</Note>

## Add a department

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Departments">
    Go to **Settings**, then **Organization**, then select the **Departments** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start a new department">
    Select **Add Department**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name it">
    Enter a **Department Name**, for example *Cardiology*, and an optional **Description**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Select **Create**. The department is immediately available to assign to doctors and to filter by.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Only admins can add or edit departments.
</Note>

## Assign doctors to a department

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

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

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Update a doctor's profile" icon="id-card" href="/docs/team/doctor-profiles">
    Assign doctors to the departments they belong to.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Setting up locations" icon="map-pin" href="/docs/team/locations">
    Define the physical sites your organisation runs from.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Setting up pods" icon="people-group" href="/docs/team/pods">
    Add a smaller grouping within a department.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Set up an Auto Duty" icon="robot" href="/docs/auto-duty-planning/setting-up-an-auto-duty">
    Scope a recurring duty plan to a specific department.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>