On call duties in case a resident drops out

[Smile2007]

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I'm in a GPR program. we are 3 residents and One of our residents dropped out of the program. We take calls for a whole week every 3rd week. Now they are asking us to cover calls every week. That makes 15 days in a month!. Ours is level 1 trauma center and the dental takes first call for OMFS.
It would be great if someone could give us some inputs on this issue.
1. What are the on-call regulations and who delineate them?
2. We don't even have an oncall room and the call schedule is already overwhelming. Do we have the rights to say "no" as we did not sign up for this?
Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

[servitup]

When you say dental takes first call for OMFS, what does that entail? Are we talking you check out odontogenic infections and tooth trauma first or are we talkin you go down and sew up faces and evaluate facial fractures?

 

[setdoc7]

Are you in the CIR? If so you can bring this up to your union rep. If not, this is a good time to have a sit own with the program director and/or chairman. Although I do not believe GPR's are covered under the Bell Commission, you do have some rights and every other nite of call is excessive. Further the OMFS residents must take some first call, if not the why not? PM me if you need some more ideas.

 

[Smile2007]

When you say dental takes first call for OMFS, what does that entail? Are we talking you check out odontogenic infections and tooth trauma first or are we talkin you go down and sew up faces and evaluate facial fractures?

Yes, thats confusing! We go first for whatever it is! infections, tooth trauma, fractures, gsw...we assess first and call the omfs...so we need to go in for anything related to mouth 🙁

 

[servitup]

That's pretty crazy that OMFS doesn't even take primary trauma call. I think q2 call for GPR is unreasonable. In fact, OMFS should take some of your dental call IMO.

 

[InMyCrossHairs]

I'm in a GPR program. we are 3 residents and One of our residents dropped out of the program. We take calls for a whole week every 3rd week. Now they are asking us to cover calls every week. That makes 15 days in a month!. Ours is level 1 trauma center and the dental takes first call for OMFS.
It would be great if someone could give us some inputs on this issue.
1. What are the on-call regulations and who delineate them?
2. We don't even have an oncall room and the call schedule is already overwhelming. Do we have the rights to say "no" as we did not sign up for this?
Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

q2 at a busy level I is pretty intense. It is absurd for a GPR resident. We have times during our residency where our interns are q2 primary call and it can get quite brutal. We also cover a busy level I and have minimal call responsibilities at a smaller hospital. It is easy for us to tell our interns to just suck it up, after all we did sign up for it. Additionally, everyone else has done it, so there are very few tears of sympathy.

Your situation is much different, unless you go onto to OMFS, you will never do any of that Facial Trauma again. Thus there is very little utility in you being up all hours of the night working up midface and mandible fractures. I think that is what the OMFS residents should be doing. Infections and dento-alveolar are practical, but that other stuff should be handled by your OMFS residents.

I think you have a lot of leverage. I would simply tell your PD that they either address your call schedule or threaten to leave. You would be surprised at how much you are valued as first call. (I am joking a little bit about quitting, but dont underestimate your value.)

On a side note, I think your OMFS interns are getting screwed by not being the first ones called. I learned a ton in the ED, and for the most part really enjoyed my time being 1st call.

 

[Smile2007]

Okay, here's the story!

WE HAVE TO TAKE CALLS Q2 !!! 🙁

Since the ACGME regulations state that a resident can take at home pager calls upto 80 hours a week, we are getting totally screwed!!! They are not going to cut any slack even if you stayed up all night...Our chief of dental (we do not have a PD) did not even discuss anything with us. She said she is gonna hire an attending who might take calls (Phew...why would an attending take a call?? let's see) But that's not until feb! This month I'm on call 14 days...
I don't think I can handle this stress. we already have to see more patients now. She also has a no-cancellation policy. So we have to see the patients of the resident who left the proram. Now the second resident is on rotation and I'm having too much fun in the clinic working in 4 different rooms.🙁 with no assistants!
Can someone please let me know about any loop holes that can favour the residents...Any input would be appreciated!!!

PS: We don't even have an on-call room!

 

[Istr8nthem]

Okay, here's the story!

WE HAVE TO TAKE CALLS Q2 !!! 🙁

Since the ACGME regulations state that a resident can take at home pager calls upto 80 hours a week, we are getting totally screwed!!! They are not going to cut any slack even if you stayed up all night...Our chief of dental (we do not have a PD) did not even discuss anything with us. She said she is gonna hire an attending who might take calls (Phew...why would an attending take a call?? let's see) But that's not until feb! This month I'm on call 14 days...
I don't think I can handle this stress. we already have to see more patients now. She also has a no-cancellation policy. So we have to see the patients of the resident who left the proram. Now the second resident is on rotation and I'm having too much fun in the clinic working in 4 different rooms.🙁 with no assistants!
Can someone please let me know about any loop holes that can favour the residents...Any input would be appreciated!!!

PS: We don't even have an on-call room!

I would go above your chief of dental and contact someone with a little more authority. If you cannot make noise within the dental department, go straight to someone in HR or on the board at the hospital. If all of this does not work, I would get the rest of your co-residents together and come up with a plan together. I think if you all were to request a meeting with the chief of dental and request that someone from the board of the hospital be present as well and voice your concerns to them and threaten to all quit the program if something does not happen fast, you may see quick resolutions.

It is a tough situation and you all are getting screwed because of someone dropping out of the residency. This is not what was laid out for you when you signed your employment contract, so I would say that you have a little leverage with them. They need you for the department to make money. They will want to make it possible for you all to stay in the residency.

My 2 cents.