Medical Residencies at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
As a medical resident at the Hershey Medical Center, you're working at a highly respected academic medical center. The Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center works in partnership with Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine to offer over 70 fully-accredited residency programs to aspiring doctors – and you're now part of the team.
You've worked hard to get here. You should be proud of how far you've come and the recognition you've received by joining the Hershey Medical Center as a resident. However, there are many challenges associated with medical residency, from timekeeping to professionalism issues, and it's crucial you know how to handle them.
LLF Law Firm wants to ensure that you make it through your residency and achieve your dream of becoming a qualified doctor. If you're accused of violating resident policies, your future could be in jeopardy – contact the LLF Law Firm at 888.535.3686 now for advice and representation.
Hershey Medical Center Resident Policies
The residency programs offered by Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine at the Hershey Medical Center come with various policies attached. Aside from reading these policies, one of the first actions that a resident must take is signing the Residency Agreement. The Resident Agreement sets out the terms and conditions of the resident's placement, and it is reviewed at the completion of each training year.
Failing to comply with Penn State Health policies could mean the non-renewal of your Residency Agreement, so read them in full. The most significant policies are the:
- Grievance and Due Process Policy
- Moonlighting Policy
- Promotion/Renewal of Appointment Policy
- Resident Supervision Policy
Here are some of a resident's key responsibilities at the Hershey Medical Center.
- You must complete various background checks and comply with Penn State's vaccination policy.
- To promote safe and effective patient care, you cannot “moonlight” without authorization.
- You must comply with HIPAA at all times.
- You cannot work outside of your authorized area of practice.
- Requests for leave must be submitted in good time. Emergency leave requests should be submitted as soon as possible.
- You must meet core competency expectations in medical knowledge, patient care, communication, professionalism, practice-based learning, and systems-based practice to progress through the program.
A failure to meet the academic, professional, and performance standards imposed by the Hershey Medical Center could hinder your ability to complete the program.
Breaching Hershey Medical Center Resident Policies
Hershey Medical Center residents face tough sanctions for breaching resident policies. Residents could face warnings or be prevented from moving into the next training year, or they could be suspended. In serious cases, they may be dismissed from the training program and prevented from joining a new program elsewhere.
A resident who loses their place in a training program could lose their shot at a rewarding medical career. They may also face strained relationships with their family and peers, reputation damage, and emotional distress. Don't let a residency issue damage your entire future – call the LLF Law Firm now at 888.535.3686 to learn how we can help.
Procedures for Challenging Hershey Medical Center Policy Violations
Hershey Medical Center Residents facing disciplinary action can be assured there is a clear investigative procedure and appeals process for residents who wish to appeal decisions made against them.
Grievance and Due Process Policy
The rules regarding investigations and appeals are set out in the Penn State Health Grievance and Due Process Policy. According to this policy, every resident accused of misconduct that could jeopardize their career progression has a right to request a review of any action taken against them. Residents facing the following sanctions can request a review:
- failure to move into the next training year
- non-renewal of the Resident Agreement
- program dismissal
- program suspension
There are two levels of review: program-level and graduate medical education level. Let's consider them in turn.
Program-Level Review
- When the resident receives notice of a sanction against them, they can seek the opportunity to appeal in person to the Clinical Competency Committee (CCC).
- At the appeal, the resident can present oral and written submissions in support of their case.
- If the CCC refuses the appeal, the resident can appeal to the Program Director (if they're not a CCC member) or the Department Chair.
- If the CCC's decision is upheld, the resident must seek a graduate medical education-level review within seven days of the CCC's final decision. Otherwise, the resident loses the right to appeal, and the decision is binding.
Graduate Medical Education-Level Review
- For non-renewal and non-promotion grievances, the resident meets with the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs or the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education.
- For suspensions and dismissals, the resident meets with a Graduate Medical Education Appeals Board.
- Within seven days of either meeting, the resident should receive written notice of the decision. This decision is binding.
Get Legal Representation from LLF Law Firm
Just because Penn State Health has procedures in place for dealing with residency violations does not mean that these procedures will always be followed. However, one way to ensure you get a fair shot at completing your residency program is to retain the services of the LLF Law Firm. The experienced medical resident attorneys at LLF Law Firm know how to facilitate negotiations with residency providers to reach a fair outcome for all parties involved.
If you retain the LLF Law Firm, they will immediately get to work for you. They will evaluate your case, identify the strengths and weaknesses in your situation, and determine the best way to reach the most favorable possible outcome – whether this means staying on the program or completing your residency elsewhere.
Think about how far you've come on your journey to becoming a doctor. Your future career is too important to leave anything to chance. Let the medical resident attorneys at LLF Law Firm help you today. Call him at 888.535.3686 or fill out the online contact form to learn more.
