What if situations.........

[J ROD]

I have been looking at locums options for a change of pace. Something I have always wondered as I know where I worked prior fired someone for cause and I know people get malpractice suits. How do these psychiatrists get jobs later on? I am constantly asked about 10-15 questions regarding have you ever had this that or the other happen like malpractice, terminated, lost privileges, professional organization, etc. Like most I worry about a malpractice suit that is BS just because we deal with psych patients. Just makes me wonder what these guys do or what happens to them. I heard the guy got that got fired got hired at another hospital across town. Which surprised me based on cause. Just curious if some guys with experience in the field could elaborate. I do not remember this ever being discussed and could be a good add to thread because stuff does happen.

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[calvnandhobbs68]

Just because they’re asking the questions doesn’t mean they’d pass you up if you answered yes to any of the questions if that makes sense. They’re standard questions they have to ask new hires partly to figure out their own liability.

 

[nexus73]

My hospital hires people with past lawsuits all the time. It’s not done blindly they ask for details and the particulars are important. Like if a surgeon got sued 4 times for leaving instruments inside a patient unlikely they’d get hired. But they realize lawsuits happen. They look for patterns of bad care or extremely egregious acts.

Getting fired for cause would probably be tough. As locums you pretty much avoid this entirely because the hospital doesn’t have to fire you they just tell locums they don’t need you anymore. Getting fired for cause should really never happen to a halfway cognizant doctor because most hospitals have a series of escalating interventions before you get fired. They talk to you, performance improvement plan is started. This is the writing on the wall for you to resign to avoid getting fired.

 

[Merovinge]

Those questions are part of a CYA protocol for the hospital/medical directors. If people say no and they actually had any of things thing happen, the hospital can show how you lied and then it's not their problem. If they say yes, most people are hired anyway with an explanation for the events on file. As you mentioned, people with egregious behaviors/records get hired all the time.

 

[comp1]

People absolutely can be hired with all sorts of things on their record. You do realize the extreme shortage in providers that exists, right?

 

[Stagg737]

I have been looking at locums options for a change of pace. Something I have always wondered as I know where I worked prior fired someone for cause and I know people get malpractice suits. How do these psychiatrists get jobs later on? I am constantly asked about 10-15 questions regarding have you ever had this that or the other happen like malpractice, terminated, lost privileges, professional organization, etc. Like most I worry about a malpractice suit that is BS just because we deal with psych patients. Just makes me wonder what these guys do or what happens to them. I heard the guy got that got fired got hired at another hospital across town. Which surprised me based on cause. Just curious if some guys with experience in the field could elaborate. I do not remember this ever being discussed and could be a good add to thread because stuff does happen.

I know of several docs that got in some serious trouble who are still practicing in various settings. One was involved in a significant CMS kickback scheme in Florida where he lost his license and now has a private practice in my current state. Another psychiatrist I rotated with in med school had actually lost his license after he married a patient in his previous practice. He hopped over the state line and has a thriving cash-only PP. One of our state hospitals has several physicians who either couldn't get visas or had their licenses heavily censured and are now only allowed to work under supervision of the medical director at that hospital.

You have to do something pretty egregious to become completely unable to practice medicine in the US, especially in psychiatry. If you're really stressed, just listen to the Dr. Death podcast and realize he wasn't even appropriately trained and was doing neurosurgery and maiming/killing patients for 3 years at multiple hospitals before his license was suspended and another 6 months before it was revoked.

 

[Roxas]

I had one psych attending in med school who I found out had been fired from the hospital across town. Allegedly he was assaulted by an agitated patient, and reflexively punched the patient back during the skirmish before staff got there.