Less than 1% of physician residents or fellows are dismissed from their training programs, but there are trends in dismissals related to gender, race and specialty, according to a Feb. 26 article on the American Medical Association website.
There are two types of dismissals in residency training: disciplinary actions due to severe or egregious behavior, and performance-based dismissals. In both cases, residents are given multiple warnings and opportunities to change. Upon dismissal, they receive due process and have the opportunity to appeal. All dismissals must comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding employment and discrimination, the article said.
But there are trends among those who are dismissed. Here is what to know:
1. Data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for program year 2023-2024 showed that 298 residents, or 0.2% of residents that year, and 24 fellows, or 0.8%, were dismissed from their training program.
2. The physician specialties with the greatest number of dismissals that year were:
- Family medicine
- Internal medicine
- Emergency medicine
- Psychiatry
- Surgery
3. A study published in JAMA Surgery found that female residents and residents underrepresented in medicine, specifically Black residents, are more likely to be dismissed compared to their peers.
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