What are Caps?

[bks524]

---

Members do not see this ad.

.

 

[165808]

I mean, I am not long out of residency. How do you cap the number of patients that you admit or see? Who sees them then? Do they just wait outside the hospital until you get under your cap?

We had one intern on every night for general peds and one intern to cover subspecialty services. I can remember nights of admitting 15 or more and I saw everyone of them-not to sound old (Back in my day ).

I really am curious to know how programs cap their patients and who sees them. If it just assures an even distribution then that makes sense.

Of the programs I've interviewed at who have volunteered this info, it seems like the hospitalist admits pts when the intern or team hits their cap.

 

[bks524]

.

 

[bks524]

.

 

[CookieCrisp]

bks, I am not sure how long ago you completed residency but I think the issue of "caps" is more focused upon since the 80-hour work week rule has been implemented by the ACGME. Depending on the hospital and program, caps for admissions and caps for how many patients an intern is allowed to carry are supposed to facilitate learning and sanity. I believe the technical ACGME rule is 10 patients per intern (although this doesn't happen in many places).

Some programs utilize hospitalists, others utilize senior residents, and others even create "overflow" teams to even out the number of patients per intern/team. It is NOT that the whole hospital caps (only when the hospital beds max out), but the amount of patients an intern carries is put at a max. You are correct that certain programs do not have this, and they mostly do not openly divulge this info on the interview trail.

 

[adductorLONGus]

quite cruel. I actually enjoy my job quite a bit. It was an honest and fare quetsion. When I interviewed for residency, I did not here a thing about caps. The way that my program worked, it was impossible for you to have a cap on the number of patients. There was no in house hospitalist and the only way to get help was to call someone in. I just don't understand the hostility.

Are you kidding? Read your posts.

And I didn't realize it was a question about the price of something?? Or like carnival food, etc? You'd think someone as arrogant as yourself would know how to spell F-A-I-R.

 

[bks524]

.

 

[TexasRose]

Folks, we need to keep the tone civil and on topic please.

Let's keep the forum friendly and helpful. 🙂

 

[dr. maybe]

Although I know it seems like a badge of honor to see and admit so many patients on a call night, it is sometimes bad for patient care - plain and simple.