Brigham and Women's Hospital's Top Value and Reputation
The medical residency program at Brigham and Women's Hospital is extremely keen on providing residents with outstanding clinical training, individualized mentoring, and access to state-of-the-art clinical care and research. Newly graduated medical students should count themselves lucky to attend such a rich medical residency program whose main goal is to train future leaders of medicine.
If you or someone you love finds themselves subject to a disciplinary hearing because of a policy violation, an attorney-advisor can help. Call Lento Law Firm today.
Medical Resident Policies at the Brigham and Women's Hospital
Every medical residency program implements specific standards they expect their residents to follow. The medical profession is one of the only professions where life and death are literally on the line. One mistake could cause the loss of a patient's life. Because of this, medical residents are upheld to incredibly strict standards, both professionally and personally.
Brigham and Women's takes the safety of their patients, staff, and students very seriously. If a student is accused of violating these standards, their conduct will be reviewed to see if they should be sanctioned in some way. At Brigham and Women's hospital, these punishments are called "adverse actions."
Adverse actions include:
- Revocation or suspension of a right or privilege
- Written reprimand
- Censure
- A fine
- Performing a public service
- Taking a specific educational course
- Counseling
- Monitoring the resident's competence in practicing medicine
Conduct that could incur an adverse action includes the following (this list is not exhaustive):
- Professional incompetence
- Harmful conduct
- Unethical behavior
- Violating Brigham and Women's bylaws or policies and procedures
- Misconduct in science
- Failure to perform required duties
Risks of Violating the Brigham and Women's Medical Resident Policies
As we explained above, medical professionals are held to higher standards than other newly graduated students. If a resident is caught violating the code of conduct in any way, they will be notified of a disciplinary hearing. Medical residents who are unsuccessful in defending themselves will receive an adverse action.
In some truly egregious cases, medical residents can be dismissed from the program at Brigham and Women's Hospital. When this happens, their dreams of becoming a doctor are essentially rushed to a halt. Even students who decide to pursue a residency at another hospital will find it difficult to gain admission after this sanctioning takes place. Sanctions tend to have to be reported on the program application – meaning you will have to rehash the incident in every admissions interview.
Further, being excused from your medical residency does not vacate the excessive amount of loans you had to take out in order to attend medical school. Most students rely on their post-resident placement to ensure they can pay these loans back on time. Without the prospect of a prosperous future career, you might feel quite hopeless. But it is important to remember that attorney-advisors can help ensure you receive the best possible outcome for your case.
Protective Procedures for Brigham and Women's Medical Residents
In addition to working with an attorney advisor, most medical residencies incorporate due process into their disciplinary processes. Luckily, Brigham and Women's does as well. All residents are given an opportunity to be heard on the matter, but they must elect this right themselves. Hearings are only initiated when the medical resident does not agree with the imposed adverse action. Brigham and Women's will not arbitrarily expel a resident without conducting an investigation, but they also won't initiate the hearing process for them.
Once the hearing process is initiated by the resident, the committee will give them an opportunity to present evidence and witness testimony to argue their defense. It is the responsibility of the medical resident to provide clear and convincing evidence that the proposed action was arbitrary or capricious, or uncorroborated by considerable evidence.
The committee is supposed to be filled with unbiased individuals, but sometimes the members end up having a conflict of interest or bias towards the resident, which is why working with an attorney advisor is important. Attorney-advisors will be able to engage with the hospital on your behalf and ensure they uphold your due process rights, arguing that the biased committee member be removed. You deserve a fair and equal hearing, nothing less. An attorney-advisor will ensure you have one.
Legal Representation for Brigham and Women's Medical Residents
Teaching hospitals genuinely want to train medical residents to be the best doctors they can be. No hospital wants to be known as the one that allowed an ill-equipped resident to graduate and begin seeing patients without supervision, which resulted in unnecessary malpractice. And while these hospitals do try to protect their residents from unfair practices, burnout, and conflicts of interest, they are more interested in their own reputation. Meaning they will do anything to make sure they come out on top when dealing with a scandal.
Attorney Joseph D. Lento and Lento Law Firm are the nation's leading medical resident defense attorneys. They understand how invested the hospital is in your future, but they also know when the hospital is only looking out for itself. They will be able to explain these heavily nuanced proceedings in a way that puts your mind at ease. In addition, Attorney Lento will reach out to Brigham and Women's Hospital on your behalf and answer the charges for you.
Moreover, if you are involuntarily removed from your medical residency program at Brigham and Women's, Attorney Lento will ensure you do so under the best terms so that you might return to complete your residency someday. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
