Reaching Out For Advice

To anyone that may be able to help. I was a chief resident when due to significant medical issues I had to leave my residency in 8/08. I am now finding it extremely difficult if not impossible to find a position where I can restart my training. I am more than willing to restart in any year. Hopefully, someone out there can be sympathetic to my desperate situation and lend a helping hand. I thank you for your help.

FYI -- I'm pretty sure that according to ACGME guidelines unless you go back to your original program you will have to repeat year 4 and 5. They require that you must complete the last two years at the graduating program.

Thank you. I am aware of that and would be grateful to return to any position.

It's an ABOS requirement to sit for the boards. You must complete the final two years of training at a single program. Your best resources are the program director and attending surgeons of your previous program. Your best bet is to be reinstated at the program you exited. If you are interested in the military, and if your medical condition has left no permanent disability, there are good opportunities to be had there including higher residency pay, and loan repayment.

You may want to look at Center for Physician Health, CPH, which is available in each state. After going through their program, you should apply to be reinstated in your old program.

You should get in touch with Dr. Steve Nestler. He is executive director for orthopaedic surgery at the ACGME. you can find his email address and phone number by visiting www.acgme.org and looking up links to residency review committee for orthopaedic surgery.

If a new program agrees to take you and your original program supports your transfer then you do not need a vacany to transfer to a new program. You need to find a program that needs manpower and so has an incentive to take you and then have your original program write a letter of support. Dr. Nestler is person to contact to seek help with this.

Good luck to you