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• Editor's note

  We are in the process of putting together a Residency Coordinator Salary Survey Report, based on our recent residency coordinator salary survey. We are looking for residency coordinators to review and provide comments on the results of the survey to be included in the report. If you are interested in participating, let me know.
  
  Son Hoang, editor, Residency Program Insider

• Surgeons in Argentina suspended for taking selfies mid-surgery

  A surgical team in Argentina—comprised of a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, two surgical assistants, and a surgical nurse—has been suspended after taking photos mid-surgery and later posting them online. Photos posted on surgeon Lorena Olguin’s social media account show the team posing for pictures in surgical marks and gowns while surrounded by medical supplies covered in blood. One photo that has sparked outrage among the public in Argentina is a selfie of the team in the surgical theater.

  Although Olguin insists that she never touched her cell phone during the surgery itself, she admits to uploading the photos, and in her apology, she says, “[T]here is no way to justify it.” The photos have since been taken down, and the hospital and its legal team has since opened an administrative investigation into the incident.

  This is not the first instance of medical staff taking photos during surgery. In fact, United States dermatologist Windell Davis-Boutte, MD, was recently suspended for uploading approximately 20 videos on Youtube that show her dancing and singing in the operating room while performing surgery. Several patients have since brought malpractice suits against the suspended dermatologist.

  Medical students and residents should learn from the beginning of their training that taking personal photos when treating a patient is not acceptable. Not only can it distract them from caring for the patient, it can also be a HIPAA violation depending on what is done with the photos.

  Sources: MSN and Fox News

• Heard this week

  “During my residency, the times were different. We weren’t necessarily encouraged to speak up when something seemed unsafe. I wish I had known from day one the importance of our voice, and how critical it is for anyone on the care team with a safety concern to speak up about it, regardless of rank.”
   

  - Tejal Gandhi, MD, chief clinical and safety officer at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston reveals what residents need to know as they begin their training programs.
   

• Incorporating Mindfulness Training into Your Program

  One technique that has been proven in the literature to promote clear thinking, compassion, emotional balance, and well-being is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is mental training that allows individuals to recognize unhelpful habitual thoughts and behaviors and to learn new and creative ways of responding. It has been well studied and is recognized as a healthy way to deal with stress. The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MSBR) class is typically 29–33 hours of training; however, abbreviated courses and classes are beginning to be offered nationwide. This program is ideal for physicians because it is nonreligious yet addresses meaning and purpose, has secular and academic appeal, and has a solid scientific foundation.

• The Residency Coordinator's Handbook, Fourth Edition

  Residency program coordinators shoulder the broad responsibility of not only ensuring their program meets accreditation requirements but also making sure residents, faculty, and program directors have all of the resources they need. But coordinators themselves need a resource they can rely on, too: a reference that covers the wide-ranging tasks that come up in their day-to-day duties.

  The Residency Coordinator’s Handbook, Fourth Edition offers residency program and fellowship coordinators the education and field-tested solutions they need to ensure a successful and efficiently run residency/fellowship program. With contributors from an array of backgrounds, this book offers a global, multispecialty view of coordinator duties. New and veteran coordinators will benefit from the guidance, sample policies, and program tools they can implement immediately.

  This latest edition of this best-selling book covers the new ACGME requirements and includes new chapters on:

  • Transitioning from AOA to ACGME accreditation
  • Developing and managing an ACGME-I accredited program
  • Program coordinator wellness
  • Putting the Common Program Requirements into action

  For more information, click here.
   

• Orientation debrief: How can we reduce information overload for new trainees?

  by Crys S. Draconi, education manager for neurosciences at Tufts Medical Center and independent consultant for C.D. Consulting. She can be reached at info@crysdraconi.com.

  
  Now that orientation is over, it is a good time to reflect on its effectiveness. I have been doing this job for 10 years, and although I love this time of year, it is very exhausting. I have done orientation in many programs and in many ways, and I always want to take time to reflect on how effective a particular orientation really is, regardless of how many years it has been done a certain way.

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