Failed Health Screening?

[ajimd]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So, many of you may have already been made aware that you are going to have to undergo some sort of pre-employment health screening prior to July 1 start date. I was wondering if there was any way of failing this....sounds silly, but could this actually keep you from beginning your residency? And how does the whole confidentiality thing work. If it's your medical information, how come the program gets to see it before I do?

 

[APACHE3]

..Unless your program specifically screens for drugs and you celebrated your Match in a wild way...I dont think you have a problem. 🙂

 

[ORBITAL BEBOP]

Hello,

Good post.

What if a person has depression and did not tell the PD? When they put it on the health form, the PD will find out. How does this affect things?

 

[McDoctor]

Hello,

Good post.

What if a person has depression and did not tell the PD? When they put it on the health form, the PD will find out. How does this affect things?

You shouldn't be expected to notify your PD about depression anymore than you should be expected to notify him/her about seasonal allergies or any other common medical ailment. If I were in that situation and my PD questioned me about a medical condition such as depression, I would make it clear that I am receiving adequate care and that the intrusion into my privacy is unwelcome.
Keep in mind depression is very common. I doubt that it would raise the eyebrows of most PD's anyway.

 

[deleted87716]

What if a person has depression and did not tell the PD? When they put it on the health form, the PD will find out. How does this affect things?

You'd be surprised how many of your classmates and fellow residents either are or have been treated with antidepressants. 😉 You'll probably catch more flak for lying about your depression than admitting it.

 

[DrNick2006]

Depression in medical school? Never Happens. Just read the New England Journal editorials on the issue about six months ago.

 

[phllystyl]

What else could constitute a "Failure" beyond +UDS?

I think this is an interesting question.

 

[waterski232002]

Don't worry... they can't fire you over hi-5

 

[ajimd]

I just got it done. Pretty straight forward....smoker/non-smoker/physical/medical ailments....PPD / Hep B titers/blood drawn....
Nothing really out of the ordinary. Some physical exam stuff and urine drug screen (passed...wheewww), but for example, I have heard of people getting denied life insurance policies for silly things like elevated liver enzymes or other standard bloodwork exams.

Thoughts? Experiences?

 

[Idiopathic]

Don't worry... they can't fire you over hi-5

Sure but what about chronic Hep B/C?

 

[radonc]

Sure but what about chronic Hep B/C?

i had a friend who was pushed out of his surgery residency for being hep b (or c) +. they made him feel unwelcome, didnt let him operate, etc. so he switched to IM.

 

[ajimd]

Man that sucks. Can they really....? He/ She had no idea that they had Hep B/C? I mean I guess it would be tough for Hep C unless there were some obvious PMH clues, but chronic Hep B? Was he/she not immunized?

What else have people gotten the boot for after a pre-employment physical?

 

[tigershark]

You shouldn't be expected to notify your PD about depression anymore than you should be expected to notify him/her about seasonal allergies or any other common medical ailment. If I were in that situation and my PD questioned me about a medical condition such as depression, I would make it clear that I am receiving adequate care and that the intrusion into my privacy is unwelcome.
Keep in mind depression is very common. I doubt that it would raise the eyebrows of most PD's anyway.

They ask if you have ever been treated for depression on liscence/hospital privilege apps.

The question appeared twice in the packet of forms I was sent by my residency program.

 

[penguins]

I got the packet of info from my program - hospital privs, state liscence, immunizations forms, etc
But no health questionarre. Do we have to have some kind of physical as part of orientation or what?
Is it a state by state or program by program thing?

 

[ORBITAL BEBOP]

They ask if you have ever been treated for depression on liscence/hospital privilege apps.

The question appeared twice in the packet of forms I was sent by my residency program.

What state did you apply for?
My form says
"Have you had or do you now have any disease or condition that interferes with your ability to perform the essential functions of your
profession, including any disease or condition generally regarded as chronic by the medical community, i.e., (1) mental or emotional
disease or condition; (2) alcohol or other substance abuse; (3) physical disease or condition, that presently interferes with your ability
to practice your profession? If yes, attach a detailed statement, including an explanation whether or not you are currently under
treatment."

This is kind of dicey b/c a person can have a condition that is well controlled with no impairment of job functions.

I guess a lawyer or anyone with law knowledge would be helpful.

Also, I just used depression as a example. There are other, not so common diseases, mental and physical, that some residents have that carry more stigma.

 

[inositide]

Don't worry. No one will get black-balled for having depression.

I think the main reason why any employer requires physicals is to uncover any hidden illicit drug problems and any previously unreported infectious diseases.

There are certain rules and regulations which do not allow employers to withdraw employment for health conditions that can be reasonably accomodated.

 

[ThinkFast007]

Don't worry... they can't fire you over hi-5

really? I'm sorta surprised ...not that i advocate it. But the clause states do you have a communicable disease, or somethign like that. last time i checked HIV, just as Hep b/c are communicable. so if you are surgeon you can still operate with one of those three? Not to pinpoint surgeons, cuz blood exchange can occur in nearly EVERY medical profession (except perhaps path and rads). 😎

 

[ajimd]

Would you even really know if a surgeon had one of those. What if he/she got stuck with a needle while closing or something like that, and did nothing about it because he/she did not have the time to go to health/employee services because they were too busy or something. You'd never know

But I think Inositide hit it right on the head....their big thing during my assessment was PPD....PPD....and PPD as well as whether or not I was a drug user. You find out your results right there. It's a pretty strict testing environment and in the back of my head was "what if something that I usually eat or drink or take mimics one of the illicit substances they are testing for" but all was cool.

My real question was about HIV testing. If they don't test you, then how do they know whether or not you contracted the disease while on the job? If your institution covers you against work-related HIV contraction, then shouldn't they know your HIV status beforehand....

 

[usnavdoc]

My real question was about HIV testing. If they don't test you, then how do they know whether or not you contracted the disease while on the job? If your institution covers you against work-related HIV contraction, then shouldn't they know your HIV status beforehand....

My understanding is that after you recieve a needle injury or whatever on the job you have to have reported to employee health or prev med or whatever they call it at your hospital to recieve benefits.

In med school thats definitely how it worked.

 

[NinerNiner999]

Please remember that HIPAA prohibits disclosure of any medical condition to anyone outide of your patient encounter, meaning it is illegal for your PD (or anyone else for that matter) to know about your medical record...

 

[BStein76]

Would you even really know if a surgeon had one of those. What if he/she got stuck with a needle while closing or something like that, and did nothing about it because he/she did not have the time to go to health/employee services because they were too busy or something. You'd never know

I know during our ethics class, we had the occupational health people talk to us about occupational exposures. Our school restricts the clinical activities (no exposure prone procedures as defined by the CDC) of any employee/house staff/student with Hepatitis B/C. Real cases were brought up in the past where residents (surgeons, OB/GYN, interventional radiology, cardiology) were allowed to complete their residency requirements, but their clinical activities were modified. There were other examples where the residents' contract was not renewed (which effectively ended their career in that specialty).

 

[ThinkFast007]

Would you even really know if a surgeon had one of those. What if he/she got stuck with a needle while closing or something like that, and did nothing about it because he/she did not have the time to go to health/employee services because they were too busy or something. You'd never know

But I think Inositide hit it right on the head....their big thing during my assessment was PPD....PPD....and PPD as well as whether or not I was a drug user. You find out your results right there. It's a pretty strict testing environment and in the back of my head was "what if something that I usually eat or drink or take mimics one of the illicit substances they are testing for" but all was cool.

My real question was about HIV testing. If they don't test you, then how do they know whether or not you contracted the disease while on the job? If your institution covers you against work-related HIV contraction, then shouldn't they know your HIV status beforehand....

i think...

this is what i think.

i believe that is why it's policy wherever you work to go IMMEDIATELY (what is it, something like w/i 48 hrs or two hours) to employee health to get tested for HIV after a needlestick. when they test you and you are positive (within that 48hr period) that usu means that you already had HIV. correct me if i am wrong, but i do not think that you can become 'positive' for HIV w/i that period (if it was 2 or 48 hr....i know there's a big difference), instead you must have previously been infected.

i think to seroconvert it takes months. isnt that why ppl say if you think you have HIV or whateve,r you have to get tested 6 months or something like that after that sexual encounter to REALLY be sure that you are not positive???

 

[ORBITAL BEBOP]

I have had a pd get mad at me for not telling him my medical problems when I came for the interview. This came up after I had problems approx 7 months later.

I guess that works to their advantage, but really, does it work to mine?

It feels like HIPAA privileges are nonexistent in that residency program.

Anyone else come across this?

Plz help.

 

[BStein76]

I have had a pd get mad at me for not telling him my medical problems when I came for the interview. This came up after I had problems approx 7 months later.

I guess that works to their advantage, but really, does it work to mine?

It feels like HIPAA privileges are nonexistent in that residency program.

Anyone else come across this?

Plz help.

I am sorry this has happened to you. It is a bad situation to be in because ideally medical problems should not factor into the interview process, and unless the medical problems affect your ability to be a physician there should be no reason the program director should know about your personal health. I really doubt any human person could be objective in selecting candidates in their program if they knew all their medical history. I think at our program if you have any medical problems (hepatitis, HIV, depression, bipolar d/o, hx of drug abuse etc.) that might interfere with working, you have to be cleared by occupational health. I don't know what happens if you are not cleared (i.e. they don't renew your contract or try to get you to transfer). Maybe you could visit your occupational health department and get opinions from them.

 

[ajimd]

Really, sorry to hear that ORBITALBEBOP.....sounds like it's really none of their business, especially to be asking during an interview. Sounds like they are violating your privacy just a tad.