Archive for: July, 2008
Physician accused of impairment puts resident in tough spot
There’s no question that physician impairment is a serious matter. It’s been on my mind a lot lately because WCVB Channel 5 news here in Boston is reporting that patients are suing a plastic surgeon at a large hospital near Boston because he allegedly fell asleep during a surgery. According to the story, the surgical resident had to wake him up.
In addition to these allegations, The Boston Globe reports that after being asked to take a drug test, the physician asked a resident to supply him with urine because he knew he would not otherwise pass.
If these allegations are true, it is a horrible position for this physician to put a resident in.
Although it seems like the associate chief of surgery was on top of this situation, I’m wondering what kind of mechanisms you guys have in place in case a resident notices something like this and wants to report it.
Love your medical students
When I first started as residency coordinator, I couldn’t figure out what the deal was with “all these short coat folks.” Who were they and why were they at conference eating my lunches?
My perspective, three years later, makes me realize that the short coats are just the long coats of the future. Not only does their clerkship here provide them with valuable education, it is also a marketing opportunity for us!
Instead of working around them, we’ve taken a different approach. Our chiefs run their student morning report, and we invite them to all of our lunches, conferences, and other relevant educational experiences intentionally. We’ve actually brought the clerkship coordinator under our roof as part of our staff. We try to do more hands-on things like posting each group’s photos in advance for the entire ward team to see, and providing them with a special survival guide to our service so that they know not only that we love them, but that we’d love them to stay here.
Give IMGs the tools to succeed
I’ve spoken with several program directors and coordinators, all of whom shared stories about the difficulties their IMGs have had adjusting to residency training in the United States. As we’re only a month into the academic year, many of you might already be watching IMGs having a difficult time adjusting. There are cultural differences, new social rules, and they have to figure out this maze we call the American health care system.
The ECFMG has long been aware of the challenges IMGs face, and the organization is developing resources to help IMGs adjust to working and living in the United States, according to their press release.
Help your IMGs feel at home by taking advantage of ECFMG’s Acculturation Program. Helpful resources include:
- A free service to help with obtaining J-1 visas
- Modules to help them better understand topics such as the GME system, confidentiality, and the role of patients’ families
- A dictionary of common phrases and acronyms found in U.S. medicine
Hello!
Hello all!
Welcome to Residency Manager! I am delighted to be working with Diane and Julie on this new HCPro feature. Having never “blogged” before, I am looking forward to sharing thoughts, ideas, observations, and experiences related to our jobs, and receiving your comments back.
We’ll be “chatting” soon!
We’re all in this together
One of the terrific discoveries I made when I came to work as a residency coordinator at UVA was the school-wide residency coordinator group that meets on a monthly basis. They meet, and they talk, and they eat!
Group camaraderie helped me get up to speed quickly in my new role. I eventually had the opportunity to serve as chair of this group for a year, which was also very rewarding. The sharing and the brainstorming are vital for our institution, and I imagine many institutions do this. If yours does not, then it’s something to explore!
Much like our coordinator group, I’m enthusiastic that this blog project will also be the same sort of opportunity for idea sharing. More than just sharing what I do here, I hope that my musings spark others to share what they do in their programs. My posts are the diving board. . . let’s all swim together!
Welcome to Residency Manager
I am so excited about this opportunity to blog about all things residency-related! I hope as this site grows, you will find it full of helpful information that will make doing your job easier.
Just so that you can get the most out of Residency Manager, here are some frequently asked questions about blogging.
What is a blog? A blog (short for Weblog) is a Web site where you post thoughts, articles, and ideas on an ongoing basis. New posts show up at the top, so visitors can read what’s new. Then they can leave a comment about it. The posts can be broken down into categories and topics for easier navigation.
For more information, watch this video.
What is a blogger? A blogger is someone who posts an article on a blog. On Residency Manager, Ruth, Diane, and myself are bloggers. (Fill out the form on the Contact US page for more information on how to become a blogger on this site.)
What is the benefit of a blog? You can network with peers, gather new insight, and share stories and successes. More specifically, on our blog, you can learn about new ideas, programs, and best practices at facilities across the country, get some tips to help you in your daily life, or share some advice or an opinion with your GME peers.
How can a blog help you, specifically, in your job? Our blog is filled with valuable articles, insight from others in GME, and links to other items of interest. Because your time is tight, we’ll try keep posts short and to the point. Feel free to share any of the information you find with peers or employees or post your comments on a particular topic with others who visit the blog.
What is the difference between a blog and a discussion board? The idea is basically the same: people can read what has been written and add their own comments. However, a discussion board usually begins with a single idea or question. A blog begins with a longer post, something that typically portrays a certain idea or opinion. Then, people can comment on that particular topic.
How do I comment on the blog? It’s easy. Click on the headline of a post to go to that particular post. Scroll down and click on “Add comment.” Then, simply fill out the fields and click “post.”
How do I comment on a comment? The same way that you’d comment on the blog.
Can anyone comment on a blog? Yes. The blog is open for anyone to comment on any topic they wish.
Medical schools partnering with new Web site
Heard of Medpedia?
The new Web site, which will launch at the end of 2008, is billing itself as, “the world’s largest collaborative online encyclopedia of medicine,” according to their recent press release.
The health care community is showing its support of Medpedia by contributing content to the site, including some notable medical schools, such as Harvard Medical School, Stanford School of Medicine, the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, and the University of Michigan Medical School. Health organizations, hospitals, and physicians are also submitting information to the site.
According to the press release, Medpedia will have information for both the general public, scientists, and health care workers. Unlike similar sites, like Wikipedia, it sounds as though only select editors with medical backgrounds will be able to contribute information. There’s an application process for those interested in becoming editors. If that’s you, and you’re an MD or PhD then you should apply here.
Because the site has not formally launched yet, you can check out the preview site for more information.
Residency program may lose accreditation
I came across this story in The LA Times describing how the ACGME may strip a cardiology program of its accreditation – scary stuff! The article says the action is due to “insufficient teaching time by the faculty.”
I think it’s also interesting that the article quotes a fellow who speaks pretty openly about the lack of time with faculty and inadequate supervision. Check the story out here.
No more free pens from PhRMA
One of my close friends graduated from her residency program about two years ago. One of the funniest memories I have of her is when she told me she wanted to let me in on one of her guilty pleasures. Curious, I followed her over to her desk, and she opened the top drawer. Inside were the hundreds and hundreds of pens she collected from drug representatives during her residency. She just loved the pens.
Unfortunately, it looks like my friend’s days of hoarding pens will soon be over.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) recently revised the guidelines it expects drug reps abide by. The new standards, which take effect January 2009, ban the drug reps from leaving free pens, notepads, coffee mugs, and other items behind that have drug-maker branding printed on them.
Check out the full article and a break down of what is acceptable and unacceptable click here.
For PhRMA’s new code, click here.
Sleepy resident
For those of you who don’t know, I live right in the middle of Boston. Last week, I was on the T—Boston’s subway system— and I noticed a young man falling asleep in his seat right in the middle of this crowded, noisy, jostling train.
I felt bad for the poor guy and started to look away, but before I turned my head, I saw he was wearing hospital scrubs. Although there’s no way for me to know for sure, I guessed this sleepy traveler was a resident feeling the effects of fatigue.
Seeing this really hit home for me and underscored the importance of duty hour limitations, and educating residents on what to do if they’re feeling fatigued. As I watched him—eyes closed, head continuously nodding off— I couldn’t help but put myself in the place of the last patient he saw that day.
-
-
Categories
-
Archives
-
Feeds
