A veritable humanitarian crisis at exploitative post-graduate residency programs is irreparably harming physicians in training and jeopardizing patient care.
Kernan and I have been in touch before. Although not about me as a resident, I was severely abused during my medical career. I complained for 20 years about the abuse and denial of ADA access. My documentation has been reviewed by a man trained in Human Resources and who worked as a project manager at Boeing/Seattle. He called my abuse the worst case he could imagine. As a result of abuse, I have had both legs amputated. The abusers were allowed to investigate themselves, found themselves not guilty, and claimed that I was delusional, imagining my abuse. That led to more abuse as they managed to get my license suspended. Abuse is very real. It leads to mental stress, physical damage, and financial devastation. It is all hell.
I am not sure what the best strategy is to save our profession from this existential crisis, but you’ve shed light on a snake pit.
Let’s figure out what to do with the snakes within it.
I am not even sure who or what entity is best equipped to take on the core business of professional medical education, but AAMC and Dept of Education are likely in positions to usher needed changes.
DOE and DOJ as well as putting a spotlight on ACGME. Especialy if this system is abusing the FFDE process (weaponizing fitness for duty exams). And consider NLRB and OSHA if work conditions and safety issues are being raised by the PGYs. Multiple fronts are needed.
Thanks Baird! Wish I could find some well-grounded psychologists like yourself to conduct ethical, independent, non-weaponized FFDEs of physicians who've gotten ensnared in a truly reprehensible corrupt system.
Thank you for your courage in publishing this! Residency training is a trial period that bludgeons our best and brightest humanitarians into submission. They are trained to be cogs in the profit-driven system of modern American healthcare. Those who dare to speak truth to power are ostracized and threatened with their careers. Meanwhile, corporate profiteers like HCA get dirt-cheap labor from physician trainees who have no ability to protest these horrendous working conditions. And if you think hospital and medical school leadership aren't on the take, I invite you to look at what's happening at UVA. https://cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-uva-not-the-first-no-confidence-letter-for-craig-kent/
Thanks for commenting and validating this abuse. And also for the eye-opening link! I think what we're tapping into is a PGY MeToo movement. The harm being done to these dedicated physicians in training is simply unconscionable. I hope we'll continue the dialog.
We can’t talk about healthcare reform in this country unless we talk about medical education reform. But there are a lot of powerful and financially savvy beneficiaries of the status quo. Including politicians from both parties.
The Flexner Report and the fallout from The Great Influenza caused a seismic shift in how doctors are trained. My hope is that the fallout from Covid will cause another major disruption in how medical education and healthcare are delivered. Unionization of residents is an important first step to protecting the wellbeing of young doctors. I’d love to collaborate on an article about that.
Thank you for writing this. I am a fellow whistleblower and therefore immediately held in derision by muckety mucks. It doesnt help that I am a woman and an immigrant. I had to walk away.
How do we share this far and wide? It seems like a good root cause analysis.
Indeed, anyone who tries to speak an uncomfortable truth is made to feel ... very uncomfortable. Please do share this freely. Simply use the share link in the article itself. Or copy the link and write a social media post about it and include the link.
Thank you for highlighting this. It has been so disheartening hearing these direct incidents from trainees I have helped, peers and on physician groups and forums…
It is most disheartening that good physicians in training can have their careers so assaulted by narcissistic despots, and being done in such a way that the net effect is career homicide. We need to come together to hold these entities responsible and to put prompt accountability in place.
I applaud the effort. Even signing on to a petition (or starting one) is a risky maneuver. Be sure to share the article far and wide and encourage docs to subscribe so they can keep up with ways to best protect their careers.
I agree! My internship in Emergency Medicine at UC Davis was characterized by 36 hour back to back shifts with one day off every 28 days whether you needed it or not! I saw an unacceptable number of mistakes made by Surgery Residents. Their hours were worse than mine! I was very grumpy for the whole year!
Yes indeed. It's a system in desperate need of an overhaul. Long hours and strenuous conditions may be par for the course, but when it gets into willful abuse and harm to one's education and career, it's ove the top and must be confronted.
Hello Dr Manion and fellow colleagues,
Kernan and I have been in touch before. Although not about me as a resident, I was severely abused during my medical career. I complained for 20 years about the abuse and denial of ADA access. My documentation has been reviewed by a man trained in Human Resources and who worked as a project manager at Boeing/Seattle. He called my abuse the worst case he could imagine. As a result of abuse, I have had both legs amputated. The abusers were allowed to investigate themselves, found themselves not guilty, and claimed that I was delusional, imagining my abuse. That led to more abuse as they managed to get my license suspended. Abuse is very real. It leads to mental stress, physical damage, and financial devastation. It is all hell.
I am not sure what the best strategy is to save our profession from this existential crisis, but you’ve shed light on a snake pit.
Let’s figure out what to do with the snakes within it.
I am not even sure who or what entity is best equipped to take on the core business of professional medical education, but AAMC and Dept of Education are likely in positions to usher needed changes.
DOE and DOJ as well as putting a spotlight on ACGME. Especialy if this system is abusing the FFDE process (weaponizing fitness for duty exams). And consider NLRB and OSHA if work conditions and safety issues are being raised by the PGYs. Multiple fronts are needed.
How nice to come across your good advocacy work on behalf of your colleagues Kernan! 👏
Hope this finds you well and thriving out there in this crazy old world!
Baird
Thanks Baird! Wish I could find some well-grounded psychologists like yourself to conduct ethical, independent, non-weaponized FFDEs of physicians who've gotten ensnared in a truly reprehensible corrupt system.
How's this for a symbol of a truly corrupt and destructive system:
https://open.substack.com/pub/bairdbrightman/p/national-physician-suicide-awareness?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Power does corrupt. We've both seen how that works. Yuck. Keep fighting the good fight! ✌️
Thank you for your courage in publishing this! Residency training is a trial period that bludgeons our best and brightest humanitarians into submission. They are trained to be cogs in the profit-driven system of modern American healthcare. Those who dare to speak truth to power are ostracized and threatened with their careers. Meanwhile, corporate profiteers like HCA get dirt-cheap labor from physician trainees who have no ability to protest these horrendous working conditions. And if you think hospital and medical school leadership aren't on the take, I invite you to look at what's happening at UVA. https://cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-uva-not-the-first-no-confidence-letter-for-craig-kent/
Thanks for commenting and validating this abuse. And also for the eye-opening link! I think what we're tapping into is a PGY MeToo movement. The harm being done to these dedicated physicians in training is simply unconscionable. I hope we'll continue the dialog.
We can’t talk about healthcare reform in this country unless we talk about medical education reform. But there are a lot of powerful and financially savvy beneficiaries of the status quo. Including politicians from both parties.
The Flexner Report and the fallout from The Great Influenza caused a seismic shift in how doctors are trained. My hope is that the fallout from Covid will cause another major disruption in how medical education and healthcare are delivered. Unionization of residents is an important first step to protecting the wellbeing of young doctors. I’d love to collaborate on an article about that.
Thank you for writing this. I am a fellow whistleblower and therefore immediately held in derision by muckety mucks. It doesnt help that I am a woman and an immigrant. I had to walk away.
How do we share this far and wide? It seems like a good root cause analysis.
Indeed, anyone who tries to speak an uncomfortable truth is made to feel ... very uncomfortable. Please do share this freely. Simply use the share link in the article itself. Or copy the link and write a social media post about it and include the link.
Thank you for highlighting this. It has been so disheartening hearing these direct incidents from trainees I have helped, peers and on physician groups and forums…
It is most disheartening that good physicians in training can have their careers so assaulted by narcissistic despots, and being done in such a way that the net effect is career homicide. We need to come together to hold these entities responsible and to put prompt accountability in place.
Please sign and share this petition, contact ACGME to protest against the corruption.
https://chng.it/QsdKGQMWCp
I applaud the effort. Even signing on to a petition (or starting one) is a risky maneuver. Be sure to share the article far and wide and encourage docs to subscribe so they can keep up with ways to best protect their careers.
I agree! My internship in Emergency Medicine at UC Davis was characterized by 36 hour back to back shifts with one day off every 28 days whether you needed it or not! I saw an unacceptable number of mistakes made by Surgery Residents. Their hours were worse than mine! I was very grumpy for the whole year!
Yes indeed. It's a system in desperate need of an overhaul. Long hours and strenuous conditions may be par for the course, but when it gets into willful abuse and harm to one's education and career, it's ove the top and must be confronted.
That is so so sad and unacceptable!