Resident Eligibility and Selection

DEPT: MEDICAL EDUCATION
POLICY #: 8240.06

GOAL

To provide guidelines for the recruitment, eligibility and selection and appointment of potential candidates for enrollment into a residency program at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

POLICY

1. Eligibility: Applicants with one of the following qualifications will be considered for appointment:

A) Graduates of medical schools in the United States and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

B) Graduates of college of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

C) Graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada, and meeting one of the following additional qualifications:

a) Holding a currently valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) prior to appointment; or,

b) Holding a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States licensing jurisdiction in which the ACGME-accredited program is located.

2. All prerequisite post-graduate clinical education required for initial entry or transfer into ACGME-accredited resident programs must be completed in ACGME-accredited residency programs, AOA-approved residency programs, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)-accredited or College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)-accredited residency programs located in Canada, or in residency programs with ACGME International (ACGME-I) Advanced Specialty Accreditation.

A) Residency programs must receive verification of each resident’s level of competency in the required clinical field using ACGME, CanMEDS, or ACGME-I Milestones evaluations from the prior training program upon matriculation.

3. Selection:

A) Programs will select from among eligible applicants on the basis of their preparedness, ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills, and personal qualities. The Program Director or his/her designee will have final responsibility for judging the aforementioned qualities based upon the individual’s written application, reference letters, personal interview, and externship performance at Cottage Hospital if applicable. Programs will not discriminate with regard to age, ancestry, ethnicity, national origin, type of California driver’s license, color, race, religion, religious creed, military service/veteran status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, genetic information, medical condition, mental or physical disability, family care or medical leave, pregnancy (and related conditions), breastfeeding, political affiliation, victims of crime, or any other legally impermissible factor.

B) The Programs will participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Participation in the NRMP does not prohibit a program from offering a contract to an eligible and qualified applicant who is legally a nonparticipant in the NRMP.

4. Applicants who do not meet one of the eligibility requirements listed above may not be offered a position in any residency program at Cottage Hospital.

5. An applicant invited to interview for a resident position must be informed, in writing or by electronic means, of the terms, conditions, and benefits of appointment to the ACGME-accredited program, either in effect at the time of the interview or that will be in effect at the time of the applicant’s eventual appointment.

A) Information that is provided must include: stipends, benefits, vacation, leaves of absence, professional liability coverage, health and disability insurance accessible to the residents and their eligible dependents.

6. Postgraduate Training License (PTL): A graduate from a Board-approved medical school who has passed all required examinations, not already received either a minimum of 12-months credit (for U.S. or Canadian medical school graduates) or 24-months credit (for international medical school graduates) of Board-approved postgraduate training, does not hold a physician’s and surgeon’s license, and is accepted in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited postgraduate training program in California must obtain a Postgraduate Training License. A resident must obtain a PTL within 180 days after enrollment in an ACGME-accredited postgraduate training program in California in order to continue in the program.

7. Resident Transfers: Prior to accepting a trainee from another program the Program Director must obtain the following:

A) Written or electronic verification of previous educational experiences and a summative competency-based performance evaluation prior to acceptance of the transferring resident, and Milestones evaluations upon matriculation.

B) Proof that the transferring resident has passed the USMLE Step 3 or equivalent licensing examination (i.e.COMLEX) for PGY3 residents or higher.

COTTAGE HEALTH POLICY

Original Policy Effective Date: 10/1996
Last Review Date: 1/2024
Last Revision Date: 1/2024
Owner Title:Designated Institutional Official (DIO)
Owner Approval Date: 1/2024
Committee Approval: Graduate Medical Education (GMEC)
Committee Approval Date(s): 1/2024
VP Approval: CMO/VPMA
VP Approval Date: 1/2024