A medical residency at Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) is no small thing. The school regularly ranks among top medical schools, and US News and World Report recently ranked its family medicine residency program number one in the country. You're to be congratulated on having made it to this point.
You're not done yet, though, and no residency comes without high expectations. It isn't just that you must be top of your field when it comes to medicine. You also have to excel in patient care, professionalism, research, ethics, and medical law. And a school of OHSU's stature makes more demands on its residents than most. Its published mission statement, its description of its program aims, and its list of values all mention “academic rigor,” training across a “wide breadth of care models” and within “multiple settings,” and a commitment to diversity and to serving underserved populations. You don't have to read about these expectations, though. As a resident, you live with them every day. You can see them written on the faces of attending physicians, fellow residents, and patients.
It's good to have high expectations. You will be in high demand in a couple of years precisely because you went through a rigorous residency program. No one is perfect though—not even medical residents. So, while it's important you know what OHSU expects of you, and it's important you do your very best to meet those expectations, it's equally important you know what to do when every once in a while you fail to meet those expectations.
Medical Resident Policies at OHSU
Take a look through OHSU's Code of Conduct, and you'll see pretty quickly that the school is far less interested in your academic prowess than in subjects like “Meeting Our Responsibilities,” “Protecting Information and Assets,” and respecting the “Letter and the Spirit of the Law.” You can understand why this is. College and medical school were for learning the theory of medicine; a residency is for learning the practice of medicine. So, what is expected of you over the four years of your residency? A closer look through the code offers some answers.
- Ethics and Integrity: OHSU expects you to adhere to the ethics of your profession and the standards of integrity set by the program. That includes things like “treating others with respect and dignity,” “valuing and respecting difference,” and “holding yourself accountable.”
- Health and Safety: Beyond helping others improve their health, residents are expected to promote a healthy environment. This means adhering to the school's Tobacco Free policy, making sure chemicals and drugs are used and stored appropriately, and keeping firearms and other weapons off campus.
- Academics: OHSU does talk about academics, but the student code is more interested in your respect for intellectual property, your adherence to ethical research methods, and your willingness to represent your knowledge and work honestly than in making sure you know what a clavicle is.
- Protecting Information: Patient medical records have always been sensitive. The digital age has brought new risks in terms of how we access, use and disseminate these records. OHSU expects you to maintain patient confidentiality in line with general medical ethics and safeguard personal information by collecting, processing, storing, and transferring it using appropriate methods.
- Working with External Business Partners: Medicine is a collaborative industry, involving many stakeholders. OHSU has rules about how you should deal with external vendors, interact with those outside the program, and handle any professional activities outside your residency.
- Following the Letter and Spirit of the Law: Finally, OHSU expects all its residents to know the law, keep up with changes to the law, and act in accordance with the law.
Risks of Violating OHSU Resident Policies
No one is perfect, and most residency programs understand that you will make mistakes. That's part of the learning process. However, OHSU will hold you accountable for violating policy or failing to meet standards in any of the above categories. That's spelled out in very clear terms: “those who violate the Code of Conduct are subject to disciplinary action.” What does this mean in a practical sense? If you should face performance, professionalism, or other significant issues, you can be subject to warning, censure, denial of promotion, or ultimately nonrenewal. In other words, a serious policy violation can cost you your medical residency.
The loss of a medical residency goes beyond simply losing your spot in the program. It means losing your progress towards medical licensure. In fact, it can mean you never become a doctor: few residency programs will admit a new applicant who has been dismissed from their previous program. That can mean having to pay back loan money without the security of a position in the medical field.
Even less serious sanctions, though, can have long-lasting repercussions. You are required to report warnings and censures to the medical board when applying for your license, which can hurt your chances of becoming a fully licensed professional.
Protective Procedures for OHSU Residents
The good news is that OHSU also has policies and procedures that provide medical residents with the opportunity to defend themselves from any accusation. Such procedures ensure you receive due process rights, such as the right to notice of the charges, a fair chance to offer evidence and testimony in your defense, and a hearing from unbiased decision-makers.
The idea of formal proceedings can be daunting, to say nothing of the sanctions you might have to face if you're found responsible for a mistake. You don't have to face this situation alone, though. If you're facing any sort of charge from your residency program, don't wait to see what happens. You need an attorney-advisor to help you defend yourself and to make sure that the allegation doesn't derail your career.
OSHU Resident Representation
Your school has invested a lot in you. They believe in you. In most cases, they'll do what they can to help you, even when you've made mistakes.
Most cases aren't all cases, though. You cannot assume you'll be given a fair shake by your program's faculty and administrators. If you're facing a serious accusation of wrongdoing, an allegation that you have failed to meet expectations, or a hearing into your fitness to continue as a resident, don't try to handle the situation yourself. There's too much at stake.
Joseph D. Lento built his career helping medical residents just like you handle exactly these sorts of situations. Joseph D. Lento knows how to talk to hospital administrators and attending physicians. He knows how residency programs work, and how to make sure you're treated fairly. Most importantly, Joseph D. Lento knows how hard you've worked to get to this point in your career. He doesn't want anything to come between you and your success, and he'll do what's necessary to ensure you have the opportunity to continue your progress at OHSU.
For more information on how Joseph D. Lento can help you deal with medical residency issues, call 888.535.3686 or go online for help.
