The University of Missouri (MU) School of Medicine's Department of Medicine Residency offers residents six one-year preliminary residency options, plus an additional array of sub-specialty programs, including Radiology, Neurological Surgery, Neurology, Emergency Medicine, and more.
Like any residency tract, MU's Graduate Medical Education (GME) offerings will prove challenging to most. Even those who fared well in medical school may find continuous clinical rotations, interactions with patients, and other demands of residency to be difficult.
MU School of Medicine has systems for helping residents progress, overcome challenges, and appeal any decisions that they believe are unwarranted or unjust. Attorney-advisor Joseph Lento and his Nationwide Resident Education Team at The Lento Law Firm help students understand and pursue potential resolutions to any given problem.
Our team will help with any issues related to progression, remediation, professionalism, grade appeals, withdrawals, suspensions, or any other challenge you face during residency.
Value Proposition for Residents Who Complete Their Graduate Medical Education at MU School of Medicine
You are attending a University of Missouri medical residency program for a good reason. Perhaps you believe that MU School of Medicine offered you the best opportunity to reach your goals in medicine, and that likely still holds true.
As a resident at a large state university hospital system, you may have access to resources, doctors, and experiences that medical residents at other institutions do not. An issue during your residency could compromise your position at your MU School of Medicine residency program, therefore compromising the benefits that you receive from your program.
Every resident issue warrants your attention, no matter how minor the problem may seem. Hiring Attorney-Advisor Joseph Lento's Resident Defense Team will ensure that you seek a resolution to protect your present status at MU and the future goals you have in medicine.
Resident Policies at MU School of Medicine
MU School of Medicine provides a comprehensive listing of resident policies, including:
- An academic deficiency policy, which details MU's procedures when a resident is determined to be “academically deficient”
- A disciplinary policy, which details circumstances that qualify as misconduct and the university's procedures for adjudicating alleged misconduct by residents
- A supervision policy, which outlines MU's commitment to providing adequate supervision to residents
- A work hours policy, which sets the standard for overworking residents during their time at MU Graduate Medical Education in Columbia
- A drug testing policy for training residents, which details prohibited drug use and the university's procedures for testing residents and analyzing test results
- A resident grievance policy, which explains how residents can appeal certain university decisions they disagree with
- A professionalism and personal responsibility policy, which outlines professionalism expectations of residents attending MU School of Medicine
The policy handbook contains 42 independent sub-policies, several of which could apply to your current circumstances. Once the Lento Law Firm has reviewed your case and learned of the issues you face, we'll identify and scour all policies that may be relevant to you.
Potential Fallout from a Resident Issue While Attending MU School of Medicine
The specific resident issue that you are facing will determine the potential consequences it carries with it. Adverse consequences that we aim to protect residents from include:
- Remediation: When a resident shows “deficiency” (as MU policies refer to it) in their comprehension or application of medical concepts, they may be asked—or commanded—to remediate residency work. This could be an exam, an entire clinical rotation, or another feature of your residency. If you can secure a less drastic solution to remediation, it's generally in your interest to do so.
- Formal reprimand: Any formal reprimand in your resident file is worth avoiding. Even if this is the mildest form of discipline you face in a given circumstance, it can be a key (negative) differentiator between you and your fellow residents.
- Probation: Behavioral or academic probation may be preferable to suspension, but it can still be highly damaging.
- Suspension: A suspension from an MU medical residency program can be a glaring blemish to prospective employers who might otherwise hire you for a position.
- Dismissal or non-renewal of contract: The most serious consequence a resident can face. Dismissal or non-renewal of your contract will leave you scrambling to find a new residency program.
Each of these consequences may affect your graduation, diminish your future job offers, and ultimately put a ceiling on your medical career and earnings.
How to Respond to a Resident Issue While Attending University of Missouri School of Medicine
MU resident policies list a hierarchy that residents can follow when they have an issue in need of a resolution. You should generally:
- Contact the chief resident of your program first
- Contact your program director second
- Contact your department chair or division chief third
- Contact the House Staff Organization (HSO) fourth
- Contact the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education or Designated Institutional Official fifth
This is a process that we can assist you with. Depending on the nature of the issue that you face, we may follow a different pathway to a resolution. For example, residents facing the non-renewal of their contact with MU have the right to file a grievance and contest the non-renewal.
The Lento Law Firm Exhausts All Options to Help Residents at MU School of Medicine in Columbia, MO
We will quickly review and utilize your residency program's policies for resolving resident issues. However, our experience representing residents means that we are very comfortable negotiating directly with your program's Office of General Counsel (OGC).
We will make clear that, if necessary, we are willing to take legal action on your behalf. However, we always seek a resolution that leaves you on good terms with your program. Negotiating with your program's legal counsel may allow us to secure this sort of resolution.
There is no time to wait when trying to resolve a resident issue, as you want to move forward with your residency and put this problem behind you. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.
