Contract nonrenewal

[prets]

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Hi everyone. I am back, If u remember me. I will be completing my 2nd yr with the agreement that I will resign after completion of this year. Now the question is My PD is not very supportive in finding me another spot for 3rd yr at other programs. PD is creating problems for me to get electives at other hospitals too. I am seriously considering a lawyer at this point. Is it right for me? what are the ways to go from here? Do programs take the resident even If resident doesnt have a good letter from PD. I have nice letters from other attendings.
Anyone, please advise?

 

[3dtp]

Hi everyone. I am back, If u remember me. I will be completing my 2nd yr with the agreement that I will resign after completion of this year. Now the question is My PD is not very supportive in finding me another spot for 3rd yr at other programs. PD is creating problems for me to get electives at other hospitals too. I am seriously considering a lawyer at this point. Is it right for me? what are the ways to go from here? Do programs take the resident even If resident doesnt have a good letter from PD. I have nice letters from other attendings.
Anyone, please advise?

Getting good letters from every attending you can is a good start. Being scared is also a good start.

You are in a tight situation as there are huge obstacles to legal procedings but having a lawyer quietly on the side to advise you is essential at this point. Depending on the state your residency is in, you need to find a lawyer who is skilled in both employment law and in hospital-physician relations as they are both players in this situation. Write to Bill Hinnant at the Semmelweis Society www.semmelweis.org for advise on finding a counsel in your state.

Do you best to find another residency position ASAP. It is always easier to find a position while you still have one.

 

[NinerNiner999]

And if you have not by now, take step III and get a license in a state - this will be the best insurance policy for your career.

 

[MM9]

My advice would be to do everything you can to keep your current PD on your side, or at least not working against you. In what way is he impinging on your ability to find another spot? Can you really blame him for not wanting to let you go and do away rotations? A lot of programs don't let their residents do away rotations at all, as there are issues of Medicare funding that come into play beyond the simple issue of needing you to work at their institution.

The fact that you said in the past that your PD is or was amenable to writing you a letter for Neuro makes me think that he is being fairly reasonable about the whole process. While I agree that "talking" to a lawyer is absolutely in your best interest (at least better than listening to random internet advice), if your only complaints are that he won't let you do an away rotation and that he isn't being nice, then I don't think you have much cause of action. Unfortunately, residency programs are within their rights not to renew contracts. Also unfortunately, there are no rules stipulating that the program must facilitate your search for another position.

I don't think you absolutely need a letter from your PD, and it sounds to me like you wouldn't necessarily want one. However, prospective programs will invariably contact him to discuss your current situation. Even if he is being slightly to moderately unreasonable about things, they will listen to what he has to say. Again, better to have him on your side.

Good luck!

 

[prets]

And if you have not by now, take step III and get a license in a state - this will be the best insurance policy for your career.

Hi,
I have cleared step 3 long back with score of 87. I m a foreign medical grad and on H1 visa at present. Am I eligible for a license after 2 yrs of residency?
That sounds great. How getting a license will help me? can I get a job after getting a license on H1 visa?
Please advise

 

[prets]

And if you have not by now, take step III and get a license in a state - this will be the best insurance policy for your career.

Hi,
I have cleared step 3 long back with score of 87. I m a foreign medical grad and on H1 visa at present. Am I eligible for a license after 2 yrs of residency?
That sounds great. How getting a license will help me? can I get a job after getting a license on H1 visa?
Please advise

 

[3dtp]

My advice would be to do everything you can to keep your current PD on your side, or at least not working against you. In what way is he impinging on your ability to find another spot? Can you really blame him for not wanting to let you go and do away rotations? A lot of programs don't let their residents do away rotations at all, as there are issues of Medicare funding that come into play beyond the simple issue of needing you to work at their institution.

The fact that you said in the past that your PD is or was amenable to writing you a letter for Neuro makes me think that he is being fairly reasonable about the whole process. While I agree that "talking" to a lawyer is absolutely in your best interest (at least better than listening to random internet advice), if your only complaints are that he won't let you do an away rotation and that he isn't being nice, then I don't think you have much cause of action. Unfortunately, residency programs are within their rights not to renew contracts. Also unfortunately, there are no rules stipulating that the program must facilitate your search for another position.

I don't think you absolutely need a letter from your PD, and it sounds to me like you wouldn't necessarily want one. However, prospective programs will invariably contact him to discuss your current situation. Even if he is being slightly to moderately unreasonable about things, they will listen to what he has to say. Again, better to have him on your side.

Good luck!

MM9,

With respect, given the tenor of the OP, things have passed far beyond this. Most if not all new programs will require a letter from the PD. There are some, perhaps more than some program directors who are malignant, who will lie and who seem to take delight in exercising power over residents lives, and ending careers over slights, real or imagined. Just as there are residents who occasionally get in the system who do not belong in medicine. But the big difference is that the programs have absolute power to destroy the career of anyone they choose, whether for bona fide reasons or not. And there is very little consequences if one falls victim to such a PD. There have been ample anecdotes on this and other sites.

prets,

Passing Step III will get you a permanent license after two years of residency in all but one or two states. The problem you will face is that you will have difficulty getting credentialed without being board certified. People have done well with a cash practice and without hospital priveleges, but you would have to be more creative in how you establish yourself in practice.

The sad reality today is the specialty boards have a lock on most practices enforced by insurance company panel rules, hospital credentialling agencies and in a few cases the one or two states that won't let you practice without specialty board eligibility.

Keep the faith, though, there are some program directors who do know the true viciousness of some of their colleagues and in your search for another position you will, at some point run into someone who either has had similar issues or has personally experienced the problems.

 

[prets]

My advice would be to do everything you can to keep your current PD on your side, or at least not working against you. In what way is he impinging on your ability to find another spot? Can you really blame him for not wanting to let you go and do away rotations? A lot of programs don't let their residents do away rotations at all, as there are issues of Medicare funding that come into play beyond the simple issue of needing you to work at their institution.

The fact that you said in the past that your PD is or was amenable to writing you a letter for Neuro makes me think that he is being fairly reasonable about the whole process. While I agree that "talking" to a lawyer is absolutely in your best interest (at least better than listening to random internet advice), if your only complaints are that he won't let you do an away rotation and that he isn't being nice, then I don't think you have much cause of action. Unfortunately, residency programs are within their rights not to renew contracts. Also unfortunately, there are no rules stipulating that the program must facilitate your search for another position.

I don't think you absolutely need a letter from your PD, and it sounds to me like you wouldn't necessarily want one. However, prospective programs will invariably contact him to discuss your current situation. Even if he is being slightly to moderately unreasonable about things, they will listen to what he has to say. Again, better to have him on your side.

Good luck!

Hi,
PD does not need my presence in the hospital, As I am given passive rotations only for rest of the time and No calls. Its like I am not needed for the work. My program allows to take rotations outside. I am getting one in medicine in another program, but PD is trying to create problems. PD has approved one rotation so far for neuro in june. My question is that policy of the hospital says that I should have been told 4 mths in advance in case of non-renewal, so that it gives me a chance to participate in match or scramble. But I am told only 3 mths in advance. And the reasons they are trying to say are absolutely have no substance. I showed imrovements after remediation and The complaint which they made in march, I can prove them wrong one by one. What is the reason not to renew and program has past history of doing this to 2 other residents who were from same country as I am.

 

[lsres]

Hi,
PD does not need my presence in the hospital, As I am given passive rotations only for rest of the time and No calls. Its like I am not needed for the work. My program allows to take rotations outside. I am getting one in medicine in another program, but PD is trying to create problems. PD has approved one rotation so far for neuro in june. My question is that policy of the hospital says that I should have been told 4 mths in advance in case of non-renewal, so that it gives me a chance to participate in match or scramble. But I am told only 3 mths in advance. And the reasons they are trying to say are absolutely have no substance. I showed imrovements after remediation and The complaint which they made in march, I can prove them wrong one by one. What is the reason not to renew and program has past history of doing this to 2 other residents who were from same country as I am.

This sounds unusual for a PGY2. Are you in family medicine and what state are you in? Unfortunately there are few program directors that do treat residents unfairly. You can reply to me privately if you do not want to post all the details here.

 

[Taurus]

Sorry to hear about the bad situation. Can you fill in what happened for those of us who are in dark? I had a bad situation too that required me to get legal counsel.