Cambridge Health Alliance Top Value and Reputation
The medical residency program at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA Cambridge Hospital) is part of both the Harvard Medical Teaching Hospital network and the Tufts University School of Medicine. As such, it provides its residents with strong academics and access to a world-class faculty. The program is focused on creating medical professionals who understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in the medical field, and who will endeavor to provide a community-based practice to their patients. students who are admitted to the CHA Cambridge Hospital medical residency program should feel extremely proud of themselves.
Unfortunately, even the most studious resident can experience issues when pursuing their residencies. If you or someone you love has been accused of misconduct and is facing a disciplinary hearing. Attorney Joseph D. Lento can help. Call today.
Medical Resident Policies at CHA Cambridge Hospital
The medical profession is one of the only professions where life and death is actually at stake. Because of this, medical residency programs ask their students to follow specific standards. These standards are meant to both prepare the student for what the program expects of them, but also to make them aware of how to mitigate liabilities.
CHA Cambridge Hospital is intently aware of the issues that medical residents might experience and has taken the time to lay out guidelines their residents should follow to avoid such issues. When students are accused of violating these standards, whether academically or professionally, CHA Cambridge Hospital will review the issue closely.
Generally, if they determine there is enough evidence to constitute a disciplinary action, they will notify the student of a hearing. During the hearing, the student will usually have a chance to present evidence and witness testimony to defend themselves.
While the specific actions that could incur a disciplinary action vary from school to school, they usually include such actions as:
- Violating patient confidentiality.
- Performing medical procedures that are beyond their realm of knowledge without supervision.
- Violating hospital bylaws.
- Failing to perform their required duties.
- Bullying their peers.
- Being disrespectful to their instructors and supervisors.
Punishments for such issues tend to include things like written reprimands, fines, censure, or suspending the rights or privileges they have acquired as a resident.
Risks of Violating the CHA Cambridge Hospital Medical Resident Policies
While most other professions can provide their junior associates with a minimum amount of benefit of the doubt, medical professionals, especially medical residents, do not really receive such allowances. If a resident is found violating the hospital's code of conduct for a seriously egregious issue, they run the risk of being dismissed from the program at CHA altogether.
When students are accused of substantial incidents and forced to face a dismissal hearing, they might believe their dreams of becoming a physician are coming to a crashing halt. Even if the student is found not responsible for the issue but decides to leave the program anyway, or if they are dismissed from the program and decide to pursue their residency elsewhere, it will be very hard for them to do so.
Medical residency programs, much like graduate schools in general, are keen on keeping their name untarnished. Punishments and reputational harm tend to follow residents from one program to the next, making it difficult to gain a coveted spot in that year's cohort.
In addition, to these issues, many medical residents rely on their post-resident placement to ensure they can pay back their considerable medical school loans. Medical residencies do not tend to pay their residents much, but the first position after a residency always carries with it that promise of financial independence. If a student is dismissed from their residency program and unable to find a place in a different program, it can make paying back these loans extremely difficult.
Now, it may sound like you don't have any options when this happens, but most medical residency programs allow their residents to work with attorney advisors. Attorney advisors will help gather evidence and witness testimony to help you successfully tell your side of the story.
Protective Procedures for CHA Cambridge Hospital Medical Residents
The specifics for a hearing proceeding vary from residency program to residency program. What they all have in common is that they provide their residents with particular due process rights. These rights give residents a set of expectations for how the proceedings will go. For instance, normally, in disciplinary hearings, the accused resident has the right to confront their accuser, present a defense, and submit an appeal if their defense is unsuccessful. Additionally, most residency programs allow their residents access to an attorney advisor who can help them make sure their due process rights are being upheld by the residency program.
During the hearing, the accused resident will present their argument as to why they are not responsible for the accused conduct. They will bring relevant witnesses and evidence to corroborate their claims. After they are done, a medical residency representative will present their argument as to why the resident is guilty of the accused conduct. When both sides have had a chance to present their sides and cross-examine the other sides, the disciplinary committee will review all the information presented and determine whether the resident is responsible for the accused conduct.
For the most part, the committees are supposed to be filled with individuals who hold no bias against the accused students, but sometimes this is infeasible, and the committee members have biases or conflicts of interest towards the resident. The resident's attorney advisor is trained to notice this issue quickly. They will call for the unbiased individual, or individuals, to be removed from the committee. For this, and many other reasons, having the help of an attorney advisor is unmatched.
Winning Representation for CHA Cambridge Hospital's Medical Residents
Attorney Joseph D. Lento is the leading medical resident defense attorney advisor in the nation. He knows how to decipher between a real, caring hospital, and a hospital that is only looking out for itself. He will be able to review the issue and determine the best course of action – whether that is reaching out to the school to speak to them on your behalf or working to have you return to the program at some point to complete your medical residency. Call the Lento Law Firm Team at 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
