Help - Program Closing

Hi All,

Hoping you can provide me and the Doc w/some advice. He recently learned that his med-peds program is being discontinued and the current program director is leaving. He is in his 2nd year (out of 4) and has been getting conflicting advice on whether or not he should finish up at his current location or search for another program.

Pros to staying - already in 2nd year and familiar with the system. New program could be worse (less learning, worse schedule, etc), we already spent all that money to move here(!!)

Cons to staying - program will have a psuedo-director so there will be no one to advocate for the med-peds group and they are likely to get taken advantage of (worst schedule, changing curriculum), morale sucks due to ending program.

Has anyone faced this type of situation? Any advice on what we should do?

If he decides to change programs, what is the process anyway?

[DCJenn]

Re: Help - Program Closing

I'm trying to think who has had experience w/ this- I'm sure someone here has!

I'll ask my husband and will report back.

Jenn

Re: Help - Program Closing

I know of one person who faced a similar situation but the program was closing completely. There wasn't an option to stay. I'm not sure how this worked, but I think the funding moved with the resident. I don't know if that is typical. Other programs offered to add someone on for the duration of training.

That has to be so stressful. Residency is enough! Good luck finding a solution that works for you.

[madeintaiwan]

Re: Help - Program Closing

Last year, DH (and I) meet a few residents from an ortho program that shut down. It is my understanding that the funding does go with them. The said residents called ortho programs around the country and asked them if they could join their program. I think a couple of the guys ended up at top notch programs (I know that one of them ended up at UC Davis). The ones that I met seemed very pleased with their new situations. Good luck to you guys.

[migirl]

Re: Help - Program Closing

The only experience I have w/ this is a few years ago a urology program (somewhere in the South, can't remember the name) closed so we got one of their residents. Again, the program was closing so they pretty much had to leave and find another place to complete their training ... which sounds different from your situation? It sounds like you at least have the option to stay? I think the process for finding another spot like that is pretty informal (i.e., phone calls and handshakes), not necessarily a formalized match process. Other than that, I know nothing. :huh:

If you do decide to stay, another thing I would worry about is whether your DH's program will remain ACGME-accredited.

Good luck, that sounds like a really tough situation.