The following is a summary of “Unprofessional behavior of GP residents leading to a dismissal dispute: characteristics and outcomes of those who appeal,” published in the February 2024 issue of Primary Care by Godschalx-Dekker, et al.
Identifying poor performance among General Practice trainees is critical as it can jeopardize patient health and safety. However, more research must be done on persistent underperformance during training and its long-term consequences in General Practice. For a study, researchers sought to investigate the unprofessional behaviors of residents in General Practice who were dismissed from training and subsequently litigated against their dismissal.
A structured analysis was conducted using publicly available data from all General Practice cases brought before the Conciliation Board of the Royal Dutch Medical Association from 2011 to 2020. Anonymous legal cases involving residents from all Dutch GP training programs were examined, focusing on quantitative and qualitative performance aspects.
Between 2011 and 2020, 24 dismissed residents contested their program director’s decision. These residents demonstrated poor performance across various competencies, notably in communication, medical expertise, and professionalism. Over 90% of dismissed residents exhibited deficiencies in professionalism, with many lacking self-awareness and failing to incorporate feedback. Approximately 80% showed deficiencies in communication and about 60% in medical expertise. A large majority (over 80%) had previously undergone some form of remediation.
The most prevalent deficiencies among dismissed General Practice residents were in professionalism and communication, with substantial overlap between these areas. Dismissed residents challenging their program director’s decision were often characterized by a lack of self-awareness, hindering their ability to reflect on their performance and accept feedback.
Reference: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02294-8