How to Never Work In This Town Again

A flashback to how I got myself in trouble as a medical trainee

Back in my residency training program, I was not popular with my program. I was a trouble maker. I am still, debatably, “a trouble maker”— now we call that disruptive innovation and the NIMH funds my research. I write about advocating for patients, disability accommodations, all sorts of things that should officially happen. They are discouraged…by those for whom the boat I am rocking is too kind.

Many would feel much more comfortable without dangerous advocacy in their midst.

The issue for me is, when it comes to medical ethics, sometimes it’s not an option: (from American Psychiatric Association)

A physician shall uphold the standards of professionalism, be honest in all professional interactions, and strive to report physicians deficient in character or competence, or engaging in fraud or deception, to appropriate entities.

Striving to follow ethical guidelines seems like a dodge. It's not. Ethical principles are always in conflict. If it was easy, we wouldn't need the guidelines. So what you're about to read was was appropriately reported. To the appropriate authorities. At the hospital itself. So that they could do something about it.

Residency training was run by a person. That person did a thing to me. It turns out this approach was applied to a lot of trainees. He placed me on “remediation.” I realized later— this “remediation” strategy saves a ton of money. It also served to keep trouble makers like…this writer… in line. Here is how it works: