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Residency Program Promotion Process
I. PURPOSE
To establish a policy for all internal medicine post-graduate trainees at Union Memorial Hospital to be used in the promotion and appointment of house officers to the next level of post-graduate training.
II. SCOPE
This policy will apply to all Department of Medicine post-graduate trainees at Union Memorial Hospital. All information contained in this policy shall be used as minimum criteria for promotion. The department in its respective departmental promotion policy delineates more detailed promotion criteria.
III. DEFINITIONS
House Staff or House Officer – Refers to all interns, residents and fellows participating in the Union Memorial Hospital’s post-graduate training program.
Post-Graduate Training Program – Refers to a residency or fellowship educational program.
Remediation – The act or process of remedying or correcting; see Policy for Fair Hearing.
Probation – A formal level of academic or professional discipline; see Policy for Fair Hearing.
IV. RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS PROMOTION
The decision as to whether or not to re-appoint and promote a house officer to the next level of post-graduate training shall be made annually by the program director upon review of the house officer’s performance. The Program Director shall consider all faculty and residents’ evaluations of the house officer’s performance (refer to the Policy for Evaluation of House Officers) and those specifically listed in item 17 of the Semi-Annual Performance Summary.
Program Directors will communicate promotional decisions to the Office of Graduate Medical Education in writing, no later than February 1st of each year. If a program director fails to promote a house officer by February 1st of each year. If a program director fails to promote a house officer by February 1st, the program director is required to officially notify the house officer in writing of the reason for withholding the promotion. The Office of Graduate Medical Education should be notified immediately upon the department’s decision to not renew an employment contract.
Any house officer pending promotion due to unsatisfactory academic performance should be placed on either departmental remediation or institutional probation (refer to the Policy for Evaluation of House Officers and the Policy for Fair Hearing).
In the event that a house officer is on departmental remediation or institutional probation at the time of contract renewal, the program director may choose to extend the existing contract for the length of time necessary to complete the remediation process not to exceed six months, or to promote the house officer to the next level. If the house officer’s performance continues to be unsatisfactory, he/she may either be placed on the next level of discipline or terminated.
If a house officer is promoted but then fails to perform, he/she will be placed on departmental remediation or institutional probation and will follow the guidelines as set forth in the Evaluation and Fair Hearing Policies. A house officer may request a fair hearing in the case of contract extension or non-renewal (refer to the Policy for Fair Hearing).
NON-RENEWAL OF CONTRACT
The program director (or designated peer review group) may choose not to renew a house officer’s contract because of failure of the resident to progress academically or professionally.
Evaluations by the teaching faculty must be considered when the program director decides that a contract will not be renewed for academic reasons. The house officer should have been placed on either departmental remediation or institutional probation prior to a decision of non-renewal of the contract. When a decision is made to not renew a contract, the house officer’s status on either departmental remediation or institutional probation should be extended to cover the remainder of the employment.
When a house officer is notified of the decision to not renew his/her contract, the house officer should also be formally apprised of the right to a fair hearing, as detailed in the Policy for Fair Hearing. The Office of Graduate Medical Education should be notified immediately upon the department’s decision to not renew an employment contract.
V. CAREER GUIDANCE
Residents will meet 2-3 times per year with the program director. In addition to evaluating clinical performance, these meetings will serve as an opportunity for the resident to receive assistance with any personal or professional problems that have occurred over the preceding six (6) months. This is also a time where career counseling guidance will be provided. During every semi-annual meeting, and as often as necessary in-between, we will review the resident's post-graduate plans and try to provide assistance in the planning of their professional career. By the beginning of the PGYIII year, the program director will meet with the PGYIII residents to discuss fellowship training opportunities, primary care practice opportunities, or other career choices. Faculty advisors/mentors will play a role in these discussions as well. Each resident will select, or, if performance is indicated, will be assigned a faculty mentor. Although residents are under no obligation to meet with these advisors, it is strongly advisable that they meet on a regular basis to discuss their evaluations, professional development and any other issues, professional and personal, that are important to them. A typical schedule is to meet with Dr. Ferguson academic quarters one and 3; mentors quarters 2 and 4.
 For additional career guidance, Union Memorial Hospital will sponsor every year a program to improve the residents’ knowledge and understanding of how to apply, interview for and, evaluate the pros and cons of individual practice opportunities.
Through MedStar Health, there will be a two-part yearly seminar entitled “The Complete Practice Management Seminar”. This is a professionally delivered program that includes an extensive syllabus and educates the residents on many aspects of identifying practice opportunities and learning basic office and practice management skills.
Union Memorial also has the Business of Practice Course interwoven into the second and third year ambulatory blocks.
The MedStar network is eager to work with our graduates to develop practice opportunities in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan region.
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