Program may close, confusion as to what is next

[TheGrog]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am at a program at a small community hospital. There is a ongoing dispute between the nurses union and the hospital. They have just voted to approve a strike, but have not submitted it yet (as required by law, they have to submit a 10-day notice to the hospital).

We heard in a meeting with the hospital director 9so it is NOT just rumor) that if they do go on strike, the hospital will most likely have to close it's doors for good as it cannot financially afford another strike (one in '01 cost the hospital $150 million and bankrupted it, saved only by a government bailout).

Now if that happens, the residency programs will close....including surgery.

There is confusion on where us residents go from there? Does ACGME or ROC find us a spot, or do we have to scramble on our own to find a program who will take us? Are prelims treated the same as categoricals?

Any info to clear this up would be helpful.

I am sure that the nurses union knows what is at stake, so this may just be a leverage move.....but scary as hell for the rest of us who have to sit by and watch!

 

[Pilot Doc]

Don't underestimate the adminstration's willingness to use leverage moves either...

Not sure how this would be handled. Are you a PGY4-5 or something else. (It's a bigger isuue for a PGY4-5 as they are not typically allowed to transfer program)

 

[SocialistMD]

As PilotDoc noted, your options vary greatly depending on your PGY year. While I think concessions are made for the PGY-4s and 5s who are displaced due to circumstances outside of their control (see: Katrina and New Orleans residents), as a junior resident you may want to start looking. Your program director should be able to help and, depending on the size of your program, politic each of you into another program, but there is a lot of paperwork that goes into it on their side that I don't know that we residents would even begin to understand. Hopefully, it won't come to that. Good luck.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Allowances are made for PGY4s and 5s in such a situation (having a close from who was a NO senior resident when Katrina hit; they farmed the residents out all over the country). You will be assisted in finding by your program (NOT ACGME) a position but as others have noted, you are your own best advocate and it doesn't hurt to look around.

 

[surg]

The RRC and the Board will generally make allowances to allow other programs to take you (by lifting the max graduating chiefs cap for your given year at any program that can substantiate that they would have enough cases to go around if they took you). However, they will NOT find you a position. That is up to you and your current program director to get the word out that you are looking. The last major closure I can remember that was semi-voluntary/semi-involuntary was the King-Drew program. Those residents scattered across the country. There program director was very active in helping them find positions including getting a CV book out on the APDS listserv rapidly and posting ads at all the major meetings that their residents needed spots. Your program director has nothing to lose and everything to gain by helping you find a spot if your program does in fact close.