Medical residents and academic due process: Know your rights

I recently received a call from a physician resident in the Northeast U.S. who had been notified that she would be terminated from her residency program for a “weak knowledge base.” There would be no contract offered to her for the coming academic year. She reports that her scores are no worse than several of her colleagues and that her accredited program has a history of arbitrarily dismissing residents. She has tried to speak to her program director to plead her case, but she reports being harshly rejected. This resident is now in a crisis state, scrambling to determine how to proceed. Should she fight the finding? Formally appeal the decision? Ask her program director (who is increasingly hostile towards her) for a letter of recommendation in order to apply to other programs? Try to find (and afford) an attorney? Or just quietly go away in order to minimize unpleasant interactions and potential retaliation? Regardless of her actual medical knowledge base, test scores, performance or the faculty’s perception of her, our young doctor does not have any idea what to do about her termination. She doesn’t know who to speak to, what resources are available to her, what her rights are, or what due process is required to be offered her by her institution, ACGME or law. Overwhelmed and confused, she will be acted upon by a system that she does not understand. Unless you have found yourself in a similar situation, you likely have not given these topics much thought ei...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Education Hospital-Based Medicine Residency Source Type: blogs