Reasons for non-renewals and probation

[cheeriblossom]

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Hi all, I am curious what are some reasons given when not renewing a resident? (or for putting a resident on probation?)

Are there statistics on what percentage of residents do not get renewed?

Also, does "deficiency in documentation"--alleged or not--sound like sufficient grounds for not renewing a resident?

Thanks ahead for everyone's input!

 

[mickey1t]

Cheeri, if this is your personal experience i feel for you, its gotta be tough. I do not speak from a position of knowledge, however I can see the how a "deficiency in documentation" may lead to probation/none renewal. However, if this is not a hypothetical I feel we need a little insight as to the details and exactly what the deficiency in documentation is. Is the resident simple forgeting to sign occasional notes, or are they disregarding accreditation requirements, or even worse, are patients being sent to the OR or undergoing procedures without the appropiate paperwork.

 

[JackADeli]

...Also, does "deficiency in documentation"--alleged or not--sound like sufficient grounds for not renewing a resident?...

Not sure what details are... but in general my answer is "yes".

So, for background, I have been at several hospitals were ATTENDINGS had their privileges frozen for failure to keep up with documentation. One attending even had their cases canceled by hospital administration until she went to med records and dictated everything that night! All cases were then shuffled to later dates. This was based on hospital bylaws. Residents are not only bound by acility rules/regs but by their residency regs. Documentation as boring as it may sound has significant impact on both billing and medical malpractice concerns. So, yes, it is possible and potentially reasonable to to put on probation or not renew a resident depending on the nature of the failure.

 

[Roofie]

That seems like a bogus reason. With these cases, the underlying dispute is almost always personal. Did you step on someone's toes? Speak out of line? Have a chip on your shoulder? Did someone feel you disrespected them?

If you did something truly egregious, then your program would have grounds to terminate you altogether rather than going through the non-renewal process.

A deficiency in documentation can almost always be corrected unless you have been told numerous times and still refuse to document properly.

It seems as if they wanted to non-renew you and are just throwing all possible reasons to do so. But in litigation, this practice is double-edged...

 

[dragonfly99]

Yes, it could be a reason.
Not getting clinic notes, or hospital notes, done on time on a repeated basis could be grounds for termination. Even attendings get into trouble regarding this...but it's usually temporary suspension of their privileges. If you got nonrenewed, it was probably about more than JUST not documenting stuff promptly, but it can be a big deal. They need things to be done promptly, for billing reasons as well as liability reasons.

If anyone is reading this and having any problems @his/her program, this is just one thing you don't want to do...get behind on paperwork. Along with doing poorly on your in-service exam, it just puts a target on your back.