Backing out on fellowship

[big al]

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What if you accept a fellowship position in your late 3rd to early 4th year and then in the intervening time a job offer comes your way? Can you back out of your fellowship and take the job? Can the fellowship position hold you "liable" for any losses? Are there any legal implications?

 

[pathstudent]

What if you accept a fellowship position in your late 3rd to early 4th year and then in the intervening time a job offer comes your way? Can you back out of your fellowship and take the job? Can the fellowship position hold you "liable" for any losses? Are there any legal implications?

I know it happens all the time. If there were any legal implications, no one would ever try to sue you. I think you at worst be regarded as an A-hole for awhile, but then people would get over it. It is a slight to major hassle for the fellowship directors. Some fellowships can be refilled easily. Others don't refill, leaving a bunch of work for the fellowship director or other residents/fellows to take care of (e.g. writing up and managing consult cases, preparing cases for tumor board, etc..).

 

[LADoc00]

happens regularly. If it is a sought after fellowship, then it will refill easily.

If it is not a sought after fellowship...who cares LOL.

What/where? details for our readers?

 

[yaah]

I suspect the circumstances often dictate the response. For someone who ditches the fellowship to pursue a job, the response is often disappointment but no hard feelings. For someone who ditches the fellowship to pursue another fellowship (even more if it is in the same specialty) the response may be disappointment as well as anger and you running the risk of developing a reputation.

I know of residents who backed out of fellowships. A couple because the fellowship director changed and they no longer felt comfortable. Another because they got a job and decided the fellowship (it would have been a second fellowship) was unnecessary. It definitely happens. But be transparent and honest about it. Fellowship directors aren't going to force you to stay.

 

[mlw03]

how much service do fellows provide? it doesn't seem like they do too much grossing, and i also get the impression any case signed out by a fellow still have to be reviewed by an attending. so is it a major loss if a breast or H&N fellow backs out? what about a hemepath fellow? the only service i can think of off hand is that BB/TM fellows often handle the overnight call a fair amount, so if a program lost one the residents and/or attendings would have to cover that service.

i guess i don't understand the role of the fellow as well as i'd like to, so any insight will be appreciated. thanks all.

 

[LADoc00]

how much service do fellows provide? it doesn't seem like they do too much grossing, and i also get the impression any case signed out by a fellow still have to be reviewed by an attending. so is it a major loss if a breast or H&N fellow backs out? what about a hemepath fellow? the only service i can think of off hand is that BB/TM fellows often handle the overnight call a fair amount, so if a program lost one the residents and/or attendings would have to cover that service.

i guess i don't understand the role of the fellow as well as i'd like to, so any insight will be appreciated. thanks all.

depends on where you train, obviously programs without residents running with purely fellows are going to take a bigger manpower hit.

But yes, alot of fellowships you sit there with your thumb up your rear at the multiheaded while the attendings and residents sign out the cases. So choose carefully.

 

[yaah]

By the time your reach fellowship day to day signout is less educational for you than are consults and difficult in house cases. I would say most fellows have some role in the consult service at their institution, working up cases and dictating them, going over with attending. But the attending could pretty easily do this on their own. But yes, at some places fellows do more signout than at others - even then though there would usually be an attending backup.

 

[cytoborg]

I've seen people back out of a fellowship to take a job - it happens. I think it depends on how much notice you give them and overall how you handle it, whether they're going to be pissed off. From what I've seen, the fellowship director wants what's best for the trainee and they're supportive. I can imagine that if you backed out at the last minute and they weren't able to fill the spot, it could create rancor.

 

[NKcell]

FYI for those residents still looking for a hemepath fellowship:

A Cedars hemepath position for 2008-2009 just opened up due to a resident backing out at the last minute.

 

[path19]

Wait! Hemepath? And isn't Cedars in So. Cal? So, if I'm not mistaken, we should make clear that only those who have already done a GI fellowship are qualified to apply.

 

[Gut Shot]

Wait! Hemepath? And isn't Cedars in So. Cal? So, if I'm not mistaken, we should make clear that only those who have already done a GI fellowship are qualified to apply.

Well done.