Transferring Programs

[lvan2009]

1

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[ranmyaku]

Hello everyone I'm a PGY-1 in a Family Medicine program that I'm very disappointed with. I was abused by the Chief Resident in Surgery who made me stay over 30 hours on my call day to be exact i stayed for 33.5 hrs. I told GME and they said that it was in violation of policy and they will try to find out what happened and speak to me about it the next day. The next day I recieved a call from my program director taking me off the surgerical wards saying I need "rehab" and that I'm doing poorly. I was baffled because I have never heard of this. Every rotation I was in noone have ever complained and told me i was doing good and that I'm a hardworking person. I then asked my program director if he could let me know the complaints because i couldn't believe this especially with Internal medicine because i had a wonderful experience with them. He said that he didn't want to go into details and would tell me know later (4 days later). There was definitely something fishy going on. Later on that day I went to my internal medicine attending and asked how I did during the rotation. he said that he put on my eval that I was at an intern level and that I improved drastically where I was making my own decisions. Things did not add up and to make a long story short some of the complaints they said were very benign and some were lies. I don't know if my program did this to protect the hospital for violation of hours and now trying to put the blame on me or what. What I do know is that I cannot stay with a program that behaves unprofessionally and does not support there residents. I think I should transfer, but I want everyones opinion on how should I go about.

Seems a bit extravagant to say you were "abused" for staying 3.5 hours longer than you needed to 1 time. Were there some other violations or just this one incident?

 

[lvan2009]

well I only had surgery for 1.5 weeks at that time. the week before I went over 80 hrs (82.5), but I know that is ave. This week i worked a lot more hrs so it might be over too. the thing was when i told on the chief they took me off the wards w/o having a dicussion with me like it was my fault.

 

[typhoonegator]

Let me get this straight. You were *slightly* over hours for one shift (which you histrionically call "abuse" -- its not), and instead of talking to your chief, the service attending, your program director, or your mother, you go over everyone's head to the GME and whine about it to them. And after all of this, you are somehow baffled that they are pissed at you.

You tattled on your program without giving them any recourse to rectify the problem internally (and I hesitate to call such a minimal infraction a problem at all). Did you think they'd be stoked about it?

You've been a real doctor for all of 2 months, and now you want to change programs because of this adversity. You would do well to learn the impact of your actions before you transfer to another program, to avoid repeating your mistake.

I'm sorry, I'm not normally a mean guy, but you totally dug a big hole for yourself over *nothing*. Maybe you should focus on taking care of your patients and let the hours work themselves out.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

well I only had surgery for 1.5 weeks at that time. the week before I went over 80 hrs (82.5), but I know that is ave. This week i worked a lot more hrs so it might be over too. the thing was when i told on the chief they took me off the wards w/o having a dicussion with me like it was my fault.

This has got to be a joke. 2.5 hours over for the week/ 3 over for call, and you complain to the GME?

 

[lvan2009]

I didn't complain about going over 80 because that is based on ave for the month. But yes with going over 30 hrs on call day because i felt that doing that put my patients in dangered. My chief said we had to stay and I tried to but I noticed that you can not make good decisions when you are tired that's why the 30 hr rule is in place. Also i did tell my associate director and before the rule was even broken and she did not do anything. During orientation the GME told us to come to them with any problems and so I did. the policy is in place for a reason i don't see anything wrong with telling them.

 

[Giemsa]

I finished residency a few years ago, but in my experience there are lots of problems that the program doesn't want to hear about (even if they say that they do). "I'm working too hard" is generally one of these.

My only helpful advice is that next time (if there is a next time) you might ask a colleague (e.g. another resident a year or two ahead of you) whether they think what you're planning to do is a good idea. If you had endured the slightly longer shift, you would still be in your program's good graces. Staying in your program's good graces is priceless.

And try to play nice with your program director - s/he can sink an attempt to transfer to another program.

 

[lvan2009]

thanks for the advice everyone I really appreciate it!

 

[Groove]

This is a joke, right?

 

[sam1999]

I didn't complain about going over 80 because that is based on ave for the month. But yes with going over 30 hrs on call day because i felt that doing that put my patients in dangered. My chief said we had to stay and I tried to but I noticed that you can not make good decisions when you are tired that's why the 30 hr rule is in place. Also i did tell my associate director and before the rule was even broken and she did not do anything. During orientation the GME told us to come to them with any problems and so I did. the policy is in place for a reason i don't see anything wrong with telling them.

Dude you are cooked. Most program directors are over worked as well due to dealing with residents, teaching, any clinics, other department related issues which are lot in FM, interviews for new residents, handling calls for all prospective residents and you went to GME to rat about them. Most faculty members in academia don't work 40 hours a week either and it does not include any hours put at home.

Have you read any of threads here about residents being terminated or lawsuits? Most if not all of them started with a complain about work hours and it did not end nicely. Now you have to burn you ass for next 2.75 years to be in good eye of PD because you will be under microscope. I am not sure how can dream about transferring when you just have started and all evaluations I am sure will be average from now on.

Imagine if there will be any anonymous complain about work hours, then who be suspect? I just can't imagine staying late few hours is abuse. You have not perhaps seen insulting attitude from attendings esp. surgeons. What are you going to do then, cry?