Background: A standardized “Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training” (VGMET) form has been developed through collaboration of multiple accrediting bodies. This form will be completed once, either at the time of completion of training (2016 and future graduates) OR at the time of the first request for verification (for pre-2–16 graduates).
How do I respond to the question, “Was the trainee subject to any of the following during training? (i) Conditions or restrictions beyond those generally associated with the training regimen at your facility.”
The question could be re-phrased to:
- Did the trainee experience any disciplinary actions, such as probation or revocation of clinical privileges because of performance problems?
- Was the trainee required to extend training to successfully demonstrate competence (excluding any leaves of absence)?
A trainee may receive negative feedback, letters of concern, warnings, and reprimands. All of these communications reinforce expectations of the facility or program without necessarily instituting a disciplinary or adverse action. They are not necessarily “conditions or restrictions” on clinical privileges or on the standing within a program.
What are examples of conditions or restrictions generally associated with training?
The need for direct supervision for certain types of clinical care, including performance of procedures, until a trainee has been deemed competent to perform these with indirect supervision, is an example.
In addition, graduate medical education programs routinely utilize focused remediation and/or learning plans to ensure that trainees have attained competence. Not every trainee requires such intervention, yet it is still a part of the normal process of graduate medical education.
Similarly, some programs may temporarily restrict some clinical duties, such as operating room assignments, as part of a focused remediation for medical knowledge or other requirements to allow greater flexibility and time. If this is a routine policy rather than a disciplinary action, it would generally not be reported in this section.
On occasion clinical privileges are restricted as part of other institutional policies. For example, an institution may require that residents refrain from clinical care while ill and febrile, as part of an infection control measure or response to influenza epidemic.
See the American Hospital Association communication (AHA login required).