Tulane surgery accreditation revoked?

[delachaise]

(Please pardon the cross-posting, but this is a rather significant issue)

Lots of nasty rumors circulating that Tulane recently lost its accreditation for the general surgery program as of late. Any truth to this? How would one find out from a definitive source other than the school itself, considering Tulane is the master at smoking mirrors and dancing/drinking around the truth?

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Samoa]

Please see my post in your other thread.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Important as it may be, you still don't need to cross-post it. Most of the members here also read the Gen Residency Forum. I'll keep it open here and close it there.

For those who want info on program probation, see:

http://www.acgme.org/adspublic/

 

[medhacker]

I don't personally read the GR forum. It is probably better posted here, thanks.

 

[Samoa]

Alright, then I'll repeat:

Yesterday the Dean of Student Affairs at Tulane confirmed to me personally that this rumor is true, that the decision is supposed to come out today, and that the department is still fighting it, so it still may not happen.

I hope it doesn't, at the very least because it looks improper due to the makeup of the committee, but also because it would shut down a program with an illustrious history and a strong tradition of excellence in surgery, which was still successfully matching talented residents to come train and practice in New Orleans.

So until you see it on the ACGME site, there's still hope. But the rumors are not unfounded.

 

[TxMed]

does anyone know why the program is being shut down?...patient load?...funding?...simple post-katrina aftermath?...


-tm

 

[peptidoglycan]

ACCREDITED PROGRAM SEARCH - VIEW PROGRAM Back to Search Results

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Tulane University Program [4402121116]
Tulane University School of Medicine
1430 Tulane Ave
Department of Surgery SL22
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112

http://www.som.tulane.edu/surgery

Sponsoring Institution: Tulane University School of Medicine
Specialty: Surgery-General

DIRECTOR INFORMATION COORDINATOR INFORMATION
James Korndorffer Jr., MD
Program Director
Director First Appointed: December 7, 2006
Phone: (504) 988-5111
Fax: (504) 988-1882
Email: [email protected]
Valerie D. Gousman
Senior Program Coordinator

Phone: (504) 988-2306
Email: [email protected]


ACCREDITATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION
Original Accreditation Date:
Accreditation Status: Continued Full Accreditation
Accreditation Effective Date: October 28, 2004
Accredited Program Length: 5 years

Program Format: Standard

Last Site Review Date: August 21, 2006
Cycle Length: 2 years
Next Site Review Date (approximate):

Program Requires Prior or Additional GME Training: NO
Program Requires Dedicated Research Year: YES
Governement Affiliation: No Military or Government Affiliation


ACGME APPROVED POSITIONS ACGME FILLED POSITIONS (CATEGORICAL AND PRELIMINARY POSITIONS ONLY)
Year 1 Positions: 19
Year 1 Categorical: 3
Year 1 Preliminary Designated: 12
Year 1 Preliminary Non-Designated: 4
Year 2 Positions: 5
Year 2 Categorical: 3
Year 2 Preliminary Designated: 0
Year 2 Preliminary Non-Designated: 2
Year 3 Positions: 3
Year 3 Categorical: 3
Year 3 Preliminary Designated: 0
Year 4 Positions: 3
Year 5 Positions: 3
Total ACGME Approved Positions: 33 Year 1 Filled Positions: 5
Year 2 Filled Positions: 3
Year 3 Filled Positions: 6
Year 4 Filled Positions: 4
Year 5 Filled Positions:
Total Number of Filled Positions: 18

MEDICAL SCHOOL AFFILIATIONS
Tulane Univ Sch of Med, New Orleans, LA


PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS AND ROTATIONS
Tulane University Hospital and Clinics - Major Participating Institution
Year 1 Months of Rotation: 8
Year 2 Months of Rotation: 5
Year 3 Months of Rotation: 7
Year 4 Months of Rotation: 3.5
Year 5 Months of Rotation:

Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans - Major Participating Institution
Year 1 Months of Rotation: 1
Year 2 Months of Rotation: 5
Year 3 Months of Rotation:
Year 4 Months of Rotation: 3.5
Year 5 Months of Rotation:

Children's Hospital (New Orleans) - Other Participating Institution
Year 1 Months of Rotation:
Year 2 Months of Rotation:
Year 3 Months of Rotation: 2
Year 4 Months of Rotation:
Year 5 Months of Rotation:

East Jefferson General Hospital - Other Participating Institution
Year 1 Months of Rotation:
Year 2 Months of Rotation: 2
Year 3 Months of Rotation: 2
Year 4 Months of Rotation:
Year 5 Months of Rotation:

Touro Infirmary - Other Participating Institution
Year 1 Months of Rotation:
Year 2 Months of Rotation:
Year 3 Months of Rotation: 1
Year 4 Months of Rotation:
Year 5 Months of Rotation: 1.5

Huey P Long Regional Medical Center - Other Participating Institution
Year 1 Months of Rotation: 2
Year 2 Months of Rotation:
Year 3 Months of Rotation:
Year 4 Months of Rotation: 3.5
Year 5 Months of Rotation:


COMMENTS


Date most recently updated: January 23, 2007

 

[Samoa]

So you're saying our Dean was misinformed? Because I spoke to him on the 25th.

 

[peptidoglycan]

I'm not saying anything. I'm just a medicine person who followed the link posted by Dr. Cox. Once I got to the ACGME site, the evidence was so compelling that I had to post it. I'm not sure what else to say...if you hear from the dean with more info, please post.

 

[Winged Scapula]

It is likely that the Dean was informed before ACGME has gotten the data on its web site, or that they are only "possibly" on probation and given some time to correct problems before formally being put on probation.

 

[vegetables]

Official info from a Dean's Meeting sent out yesterday to all Tulane students:

SUMMARY:
-- Tulane General Surgery Residency has voluntarily withdrawn the current Surgery Residency program and reapplied for a new General Surgery Residency program, effective July 1, 2007. This is seen as a good, proactive move for the Surgery Residency Program based on previous, challenging experiences of institutions that have gone through similar situations (Yale). For Tulane, it is a chance to start with a “clean slate” and to improve the educational and experiential opportunities for residents and students.
-- New Residency program has received a favorable response so far from the governing body (RRC), and is expected to be approved. A site visit will happen in March. Tulane expect s a decision by April,/May.
-- Other surgical sub-specialty programs should not be affected.

DETAILS:
Questions about surgery residency update:
Residency Review Committee (RRC) ¬ each specialty has one and they report to ACGME. Like the IRS of the medical community. They visited every program in metro area in summer 2006 because of post Katrina concerns. The RRC comes back with a series of citations for each program ¬ things they are not doing according to specification. Every program gets citations. Much of this process and respective citation has to do with how well a program documents procedures. Tulane Surgery Residency got many citations, many of which were due to historical problems facilities at charity and problems with documentation of surgical volume.
However, some of the citation were quite severe, forcing Tulane to review and resubmit new program descriptions.(goals, objectives) or Tulane would have to close the program. Dr. Slakey and the residency officers had already been reviewing and revamping the program due to these historical issues. They sent in an extensive reorganization plan as an appeal to these citations. However, RRC said all Tulane can appeal is the factual errors/citations and not the content of the document. As a result, Surgery Residency withdrew from the old program, and is reapplying to the new program, with the new plan, beginning July 1, 2007, only minutes after the old program was set to expire.
Looking at RRC historically (Yale is good example) ¬ appealing the citations and trying to rectify the issue was a far riskier tactic than withdrawing program and reapplying for a new, accelerated program. Verbal indications are favorable at this stage. There will be a site visit for the accelerated approval process in March. Assuming approval of the new program, it will be seamless for residents, they will not lose credit, and the slate is wiped clean from the past historical problems with the previous Residency Program.
Surgical sub specialties will not be affected. The only affected group is the students going through the current match. They will not be able to list general surgery at Tulane in the match. Students will be taken outside the match to fill the spots, and it is predicted to still be a competitive "match".
This is seen by the administration as a positive situation for the following reasons:
1. the surgery department may not agree with some of the citations, but they have revamped the curriculum/education/etc. and gave them a good chance to reorganize
2. the newly created program will wipte the slate clean
3. positive fallout from the process in that people at university wide level (uptown) and hospital leadership has a better concept of the importance of residency programs. This will lead to improvements in the hospital in the long term.
A letter should be going out to those who are trying to match at Tulane general surgery. If a current resident wants to transfer residencies, they will have to petition the RRC to do so, and this will be challenging.

 

[athena21]

i'm a bit upset by this, as i spent >$250 on the interview and accommodations, not to mention turned down a different interview to attend this one. i'm sure they knew about this struggle beforehand, and could have saved me the money...plus it's one less program i have to rank (and i was going to rank it #2!)....

 

[Pilot Doc]

i'm a bit upset by this, as i spent >$250 on the interview and accommodations, not to mention turned down a different interview to attend this one. i'm sure they knew about this struggle beforehand, and could have saved me the money...plus it's one less program i have to rank (and i was going to rank it #2!)....

Then call them and see if they'll give you a spot outside the match.

They were looking out for their interests - don't every expect anybody to do anything else.

 

[Spine Specialist]

http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=8773

 

[VAspa]

I'd check with the department and see how they are going to change things up, what hospitals you'll rotate through, and how they plan to do to rebuild in terms of faculty recruitment. Ask about the financial situation of the school in general...Then go with your gut.