Question regarding voluntary leave and disciplinary proceedings on residency application

[ekahl03]

I know there aren't many who went through changing programs but I would really appreciate some help from residents who have experience with leaving a program and re-applying for another.

I unfortunately was having some problems in residency and my director had called for a meeting with GME regarding my status - looking at the situation retrospectively it was due to unrecognized depressive episode and it hadn't come across my mind going through it as I have experienced it before and failed to recognized it. I was only verbally told to stop performing procedures but no written official request for the loss of scope. Regardless, I ended up submitting voluntary termination request to take a break. Now I am looking to get back to the residency in my specialty and I wanted to make sure I answer the questions truthfully and the extent of explanation for the events.

I am confused because there are two different areas where I can answer these events.

There is a section of the application called "Graduate Medical Education" asking for the residency start/end date, name of program. This section has questions that ask:

"Were any disciplinary actions taken against you?"

"Were you placed on probation, suspended, or in any way sanctioned/disciplined or placed under investigation while at this facility?"

I would answer "Yes" to both questions as these questions specifically ask about incidents that happened during residency. There isn't any area to offer explanation in this section.

There is another section of the application called "Licensures" that ask:

"Has your medical license ever been voluntarily or involuntarily terminated, reduced, suspended, diminished, revoked, relinquished, or limited at any hospital or health care facility?"

"Have you ever been the subject of disciplinary proceedings or investigations at any hospital or health care facility?"

Should I answer "Yes" to those questions under Licensure section as well? I never had an active medical license during the residency program. Or is this for fellows/attending that actually have active medical license if they have had problem in the previous institution? If I should answer "Yes," how detailed do these explanations have to be, and should they focus on chronology and factual events or should the explanation read more like a letter showing remorse and regret for my actions?

Thanks for your help in advance.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I think you're right that you answer "yes" to the first two questions. Under "licensure," I think the answer to the first question is "no" but the second question is probably "yes." I'd probably just be factual in these explanations, and then in your personal statement rather than focus on being remorseful/showing regret, focus on what you've changed to ensure that whatever led to the disciplinary action previously won't happen again.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

I think you're right that you answer "yes" to the first two questions. Under "licensure," I think the answer to the first question is "no" but the second question is probably "yes." I'd probably just be factual in these explanations, and then in your personal statement rather than focus on being remorseful/showing regret, focus on what you've changed to ensure that whatever led to the disciplinary action previously won't happen again.

I think that second one isn't asking about residency discipline, but that initiated by the hospital against attendings. I would likely answer the second set of questions as No.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I think that second one isn't asking about residency discipline, but that initiated by the hospital against attendings. I would likely answer the second set of questions as No.

Fair enough. Honestly once you answer yes to any of the questions, the specifics of the situation probably matter more than which questions were marked yes.

 

[xffan624]

I know there aren't many who went through changing programs but I would really appreciate some help from residents who have experience with leaving a program and re-applying for another.

I unfortunately was having some problems in residency and my director had called for a meeting with GME regarding my status - looking at the situation retrospectively it was due to unrecognized depressive episode and it hadn't come across my mind going through it as I have experienced it before and failed to recognized it. I was only verbally told to stop performing procedures but no written official request for the loss of scope. Regardless, I ended up submitting voluntary termination request to take a break. Now I am looking to get back to the residency in my specialty and I wanted to make sure I answer the questions truthfully and the extent of explanation for the events.

I am confused because there are two different areas where I can answer these events.

There is a section of the application called "Graduate Medical Education" asking for the residency start/end date, name of program. This section has questions that ask:

"Were any disciplinary actions taken against you?"

"Were you placed on probation, suspended, or in any way sanctioned/disciplined or placed under investigation while at this facility?"

I would answer "Yes" to both questions as these questions specifically ask about incidents that happened during residency. There isn't any area to offer explanation in this section.

There is another section of the application called "Licensures" that ask:

"Has your medical license ever been voluntarily or involuntarily terminated, reduced, suspended, diminished, revoked, relinquished, or limited at any hospital or health care facility?"

"Have you ever been the subject of disciplinary proceedings or investigations at any hospital or health care facility?"

Should I answer "Yes" to those questions under Licensure section as well? I never had an active medical license during the residency program. Or is this for fellows/attending that actually have active medical license if they have had problem in the previous institution? If I should answer "Yes," how detailed do these explanations have to be, and should they focus on chronology and factual events or should the explanation read more like a letter showing remorse and regret for my actions?

Thanks for your help in advance.

You might want to ask your previous program regarding this. These are specific questions regarding specific actions by a residency program that might not apply to the actions your previous residency program took. If you don't have to answer yes then it's better not to do so (of course if you do, you should be completely honest). You will have to answer questions like this when you apply for state licensure as well. So it's good to know for certain.