Application Procedure

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES 

Department of Neurological Surgery – Residency Program Policy

Policy: Recruitment, Eligibility, Selection and Appointment of Residents

Program Chair:  Michael Rosner, MD

Last Revision: March 11, 2020

PURPOSE:

This policy is designed to define the requirements and procedures for the recruitment, eligibility, selection and appointment of residents for the program in Neurological Surgery at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

POLICY:

The recruitment and appointment of residents to training programs sponsored by The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences is based on, and is in compliance with, both the institutional and program requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  The process of application, eligibility, selection and appointment of residents to a training program is the responsibility of the Chair, the Program Director, and/or departmental faculty, with oversight by the Office of Graduate Medical Education and Graduate Medical Education Committee.  We do not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, or veteran status.  

CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION: 

RECRUITMENT:

Candidates for programs (applicants who are invited for an interview) must be informed in writing, or by electronic means, of the terms, conditions, and benefits of their appointment including: financial support, vacations, parental (sick, and other) leaves of absence, professional liability, hospitalization, health, disability and other insurance provided for the residents and their families and the conditions under which call rooms, meals, laundry services, or their equivalents are provided.  A packet with this information, including a sample resident agreement, is provided to the programs annually by the GME Office before resident interviews commence.  This information is also posted to the GME website.

SELECTION:

The Neurological Surgery Program, in accordance with the Institutional Policy at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, selects ‘in-cycle’ applicants for all positions exclusively via the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), and the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). The Program utilizes the AAMC “FindAResident” to fill open positions outside the match cycle.  

ELIGIBILITY:

According to the ACGME Institutional Requirements, Section II, applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment:

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

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

3.  Graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada who meet one of the following criteria:

Have current valid J-1 sponsorship and certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates or

Have a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a U.S. licensing jurisdiction in which they are in training.

4.  Graduates of medical schools outside the United States who have completed a Fifth Pathway* program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school.

*A Fifth Pathway program is an academic year of supervised clinical education provided by an LCME-accredited medical school to students who meet the following conditions: (1) have completed, in an accredited college or university in the United States, undergraduate premedical education of the quality acceptable for matriculation in an accredited U.S. medical school; (2) have studied at a medical school outside the United States and Canada but listed in the World Health Organization Directory of Medical Schools; (3) have completed all of the formal requirements of the foreign medical school except internship and/or social service; (4) have attained a score satisfactory to the sponsoring medical school on a screening examination; and (5) have passed the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences, Parts I and II of the examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners or Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences requires the following for placement on GWU rank order lists and appointment to a GWU residency program:

  1. Transcript of passing scores for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 (CK) and Step 2 (CS) for placement of rank order lists and appointment to the PGY 1 or PGY 2 level (or equivalent COMLEX scores).
  2. Transcript of passing score for USMLE Step 3 for placement on rank order lists and appointment to the PGY 3 level or higher (or equivalent COMLEX scores).  In selected cases, with the approval of the Office of Graduate Medical Education, applicants may be placed on rank order lists without USMLE Step 2 (CK and CS) scores.  Selected cases may include applicants applying to GWU residency programs with an early residency match.

MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR APPLICATION:

  • Dean's Letter, if appropriate
  • 2 or 3 Medical School Reference Letters (one of which must be from a Chairman or Program Director, if applicable)
  • Medical School Transcript
  • Copy of Diploma(s)
  • Copy of the Medical Education Exam Scores (National Boards, FLEX, ECFMG exam and valid certificate, FMGEMS, USMLE)
  • Personal Interview

APPOINTMENT:

Upon verification by the GME Office that an applicant has met eligibility requirements, completed the application process, and been selected according to established criteria, he/she will begin the process of appointment with the GME Office.  An applicant is considered fully appointed and registered in the University in order to receive a salary only after all the following information has been submitted to the GME Office:

  1. Verification of successful graduation if previously anticipated. For graduates of US or Canadian medical schools, this includes a letter from the Registrar of the appropriate School of Medicine. For graduates of Medical Schools outside the US and Canada, a current valid ECMFG certificate is required.
  2. Completion of all the following forms (with valid signatures)
  • Resident Agreement of Appointment (contract)
  • Confidential Office of Safety and Radiation Protection OSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire
  • Resident Medical Screening Form
  • Graduate Medical Education Biographical Data Form
  • Long-Term Disability Application Form
  • Trainee medical license application for the Commonwealth of Virginia, if required by the training program
  1. Attendance at Orientation and completion of all University required documents
  2. Copy of a valid VISA (if applicable)
  3. Completion of the I-9 Form
  4. Completion of Pre-Employment Health Clearance in compliance with the GMEC Policy for Medical Clearance.
  5. An “active” DC Medical Training License (MTL) or full DC Medical License, in compliance with the District of Columbia law for licensure of physician trainees.

TRANSFER OF RESIDENTS:

Residents who transfer from another ACGME training program must meet the eligibility requirements noted above.  Before accepting a resident who is transferring from another program, the program director will obtain written or electronic verification of previous educational experience and a summative competency-based performance evaluation of the transferring resident for submittal to the GME Office with the resident’s application packet.

PROCEDURE:

  1. Compliance with the terms of this policy is monitored according to the following procedure:
  2. Each March the Training Program Director and/or Program Coordinator for each training program submits to the Director of Graduate Medical Education a list of all incoming residents.
  3. The GME Office completes the credentialing process.
  4. Violation of any of the above appointment requirements is grounds for dismissal of the resident from the program.
  5. The GMEC verifies the presence of a training program’s policy for Eligibility and Selection of Residents and monitors compliance with this policy as part of the internal review process.

Approved by GMEC: 4/20/2020