Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/273931
RETURNING to Work By Thomas Crocker MANY PHYSICIANS PLANNING TO RE-ENTER CLINICAL PRACTICE FACE UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW TO APPROACH THE PROCESS. A CCORDING TO THE Federation of State Medical Boards, more than two years away from practice is the typical benchmark for determining whether completing a re-entry process is required. However, the path is far from uniform or well-marked: Only 51 percent of medical boards have a re-entry policy, and 92 percent do not require re-entering physi- cians to satisfy patient care requirements for relicensure, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). "There are very few re-entry programs in this country, and they are very different from state medical and osteopathic boards," says Holly J. Mulvey, Director of the Division of Workforce and Medical Education Policy and Co-director of The Physician Reentry into the Workforce Project. "While uniform processes would be of great benefit to the re-entering physician, of greater importance would be for state medical and osteopathic boards — as well as hospital credentialing committees and so forth — to have a process, and to have someone who could respond to queries about that process so re-entry physicians know what they need to do." Stay Sharp A leave of absence is no time to unplug from medicine; rather, it's a time to resolve the issue or issues that prompted you to step away, while maintaining connections with the clinical world in case a shift in your circumstances, outlook or finances prompts a desire to return to work. Keep your skills as sharp as possible by volunteering at a free clinic, lecturing at a local medical school and attending live CME events. Give yourself plenty of time, perhaps as much as a year, to satisfy regulatory and retraining require- ments before your target return-to-work date. "Physicians should not forget their com- mitment to lifelong learning," says Mulvey. "They should be prepared to work with a mentor or preceptor upon their return. They may be expected to demonstrate their clinical competence or readiness to return to clinical practice and should embrace this as an opportunity." In a sense, the journey back to clinical practice is yours to shape, but let resources such as the AMA and The Physician Reentry into the Workforce Project help you find your way. For more resources about re-entering the workforce, visit physician-reentry.org. ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Minnesota | 2 3