Massachusetts General Hospital's Top Value and Reputation
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is one of the leading medical facilities in the country, ranking at number seven in the country for heart surgery and number two for diabetes and endocrinology treatment. They put patient care first and pride themselves on providing outstanding service to their patients and their families. As a teaching hospital, MGH offers several residencies, fellowships, and internships for young doctors hoping to grow their professional and personal skills. During the three-year medical residency program, students are expected to learn clinical skills, leadership and team-building proficiencies, and hospital and systems-level management.
Any student who is accepted into the MGH medical residency program should be extremely proud. This highly competitive program promises a prosperous future career if completed successfully.
Medical Resident Policies at Massachusetts General Hospital
Medical residencies at hospitals as well-known and distinguished as MGH are not going to be easy. Like most residencies, students are expected to abide by specific standards to progress through the program. While the exact standards are only disclosed to current residents, they tend to follow a similar structure as the list below:
- Conduct and Supervision: Residents are expected to follow a code of conduct that specifies how they are to behave professionally and personally. Students will also be given specific instructions for how a grievance procedure should be conducted, how promotions to the next year work, and what kind of actions could get them probation, suspension, or dismissal from the program.
- Duty Hours: There are particular hours that residents will need to complete towards clinical hours and education to progress through the residency.
- Employment: Residents are subject to background checks, drug and alcohol screenings, non-discrimination policies, and mandatory immunizations and vaccines.
- Mistreatment: Residents are protected by specific policies that prevent teachers from harassing them.
- Leave & Vacation: There is a particular set of hours and days a resident can take for sick leave, vacation, and non-medical leave. MGH even offers their residents paternity leave after becoming parents.
- Moonlighting Policy: Generally, residents are not allowed to “moonlight” in other facilities after hours.
- Patient Care: Medical residents must follow the policies that cover patient handoffs to other departments, their practice, billing, and telemedicine visits.
Risks of Violating Massachusetts General Hospital Resident Policies
Most medical residency programs punish students for violating their policies, and MGH is no exception. If a student violates one of the policies, they could be subject to disciplinary actions, such as probation, suspension, or expulsion from the residency altogether. Additionally, it is important to remember that any sanction you receive during your medical residency will end up on your employment applications when the residency ends. This means you will have to explain the disciplinary issue for any job you apply to in the near future, which can make it hard to get a job.
Medical residents expelled from their residency at MGH will suffer serious, long-lasting consequences. In addition to having a hard time applying for a future medical job, students who wish to continue their residency at another hospital will find it difficult to be admitted. Not every medical residency will reflect the character arcs on Grey's Anatomy. In the real world, there are real consequences for your actions, and many teaching hospitals are wary to give students a second chance once they are brought up for disciplinary issues.
Many medical residents believe they can handle these issues alone, but an unsuccessful disciplinary hearing could mean the end of your medical career before it starts. As an MGH resident, you are incredibly lucky to be learning from some of the top talents in the nation. You do not want to lose your chance of graduating from that program.
Protective Procedures for Massachusetts General Hospital Residents
Thankfully, if you are notified of an impending disciplinary hearing, MGH will usually provide you with an opportunity to be heard on the matter. Like most medical residencies, MGH is likely to uphold the due process of its residents before making any decisions that could destroy the resident's career.
“Due process” refers to a person's right to fair opportunity to defend themselves against disciplinary or academic misconduct accusations. During the hearing, medical residents will be given a chance to present their defense, including presenting evidence and witnesses to testify on their behalf. Once the hearing committee has reviewed the resident's defense, they will decide whether or not they are responsible for the accused misconduct.
This committee is supposed to be filled with unbiased individuals who will not impose their beliefs or conflicts of interest into deciding your responsibility. If going through such an ordeal feels overwhelming, an attorney-advisor can help ease your burden.
Massachusetts General Hospital Resident Attorney Advisor
While MGH might have protective procedures to ensure students are not subject to bias or conflicts of interest, you must remember that their reputation is of the utmost importance to them. They will make whatever decision makes them look like the better party. Because of this, working with an attorney-advisor is your best bet to ensure your due process rights are upheld and that your defense is presented in a way that serves your interest best.
Attorney Joseph D. Lento and Lento Law Firm are premier medical resident defense attorneys. They understand how hard you have fought to be where you are and will work diligently to ensure you are heard fully. Attorney-advisor Lento will speak to MGH officials on your behalf, answer charges, and help you gather evidence and witnesses to best tell your side of the story. Additionally, if you must withdraw from your medical residency at MGH, Attorney Lento will ensure you do so under the best terms so that you may return to complete your residency someday.
These procedures are highly nuanced and complicated. Attorney Lento can help. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
