Human Resources Policies

A.  RESIDENT BENEFITS (REFER TO APPENDIX)

1. Medical/Dental:  As UNM employees, resident’s continue to have health benefits through UNM during their PGY-II and PGY-III years.  These health benefits are deliverable through UNM under the guidelines outlined in the GME Houseofficer Handbook.  During the PGY-II and III years, additional medical and dental benefits include available through La Familia Medical Center or Women’s Health Services.  These additional benefits are ambulatory medical and dental services at La Familia.  Please see the LFMC Policy and Procedures Book for details.
2. Cost of Living Stipend:  To assist residents relocating to Santa Fe for their PGY-II and PGY-III years. Each resident may receive a $500.00 per month stipend to assist in payment of extra expenses related to the increased cost of living in Santa Fe.
3. CME: Residents may be reimbursed for conference fees, and travel expenses for approved CME, as well as approved medical books and supplies, up to $900.00 over the PGY-II and PGY-III years.
4. CSVRMC Cafeteria Account:  Residents may use their CSVRMC identification badges to access food in the cafeteria up to $200.00 for each of their PGY-II and PGY-III years.  This cafeteria credit is intended for use while on night call at CSVRMC.
5. Community Projects: Travel and supply expenses relating to individual resident’s community projects, up to $500.00, (as funds are available).
6. Rural Travel: Travel expenses for rural training experiences are reimbursable, (as funds are available)
7. Free Meals:  Free meals are available to residents when they attend SVH Grand Rounds and Bioethics Meetings, as well as LFMC Wednesday POLS sessions, and various other planned educational events.
8. Parking:  Residents will be issued a staff parking permit at no cost.  Vehicles with staff parking permits may be parked in any area marked “Physicians Only”.
9. Telephones: Residents will be issued a telephone and phone number at the beginning of PGYII.  Telephones are provided at no charge to each resident. Blatant abuse of phone service will result in usage limitations being placed on service and or telephone replaced with a pager.
10. Lab Coats and scrubs: One lab coat will be provided to each resident during each of PGYII and PGYIII.  The residency program will not provide laundry service for white lab coats.  Scrubs will be provided as needed and will be laundered.
11. Professional Training: CSVRMC will provide ATLS and ALSO training recertification to all FM residents, in house or through UNM at no cost.  Residents are individually responsible for scheduling training and certification in sufficient time to complete the requirements for their position.
12. Vacation Pay:  Refer to UNM House Officers Benefit Manual
13. Holiday Pay:  Refer to UNM House Officers Benefit Manual

 

B.  ABSENCE FROM FAMILY MEDICINE CLINIC

Residents may spend time away from the Family Medicine Center (that is, have no scheduled clinics for their patients) if necessary, to meet the needs of their training. Educational activities which may warrant time away from the FMC include away rotations, project time, CME, or rural clinic.  These activities must be approved by the residency director and every effort will be made to limit the number of residents away from the FMC at the same time.  PGY II residents must have two-three clinics per week and PGY III residents three-four clinics per week.  Entire rotations which interrupt the continuity of the resident’s patient care responsibilities in the FMC, must not exceed a total of two rotations per year.  Away rotations may not be consecutive; after one away rotation, residents must complete at least two rotations before interrupting their continuity clinics again.  At least one of these away rotations must be taken in a rural New Mexico location each year. The educational value of these rotations must be clearly documented and objectives must be approved by the residency director before the rotation begins.  The availability of constant on-site supervision is required.

 

 

C.  TIME AWAY FROM RESIDENCY

Time away from the Residency includes vacation, CME time, sick days and administrative.  In order to avoid scheduling conflicts, minimizing the need to call patients to reschedule, avoid patients arriving for appointments with both providers who are on vacation or out of town, and other serious problems, the formal process of requesting time away and notifying the program when you are sick must be followed.  Exceptions are possible but the Residency Director must approve them.  Every effort will be made to not allow more than one resident to be away from the program at the same time.  Time away cannot conflict with clinic schedule.

 

Blocks of time for vacation or elective months must be requested using the Resident Leave Request Form or Elective Request Form by June first of the preceding academic year or during orientation for incoming PGY-II residents.  The specifics of elective and where it will be done need not be submitted for approval at this time, but must be submitted a minimum of EIGHT WEEKS before the elective starts.  All elective choices should be discussed with your Faculty Advisor.

 

The same form should be used for requests for time away for CME conferences.  These requests must be received a minimum of 3 months in advance.

 

THE MORE ADVANCE NOTICE GIVEN FOR THESE REQUESTS, THE LESS LIKELY PATIENTS WILL BE INCONVENIENCED BY THE RESCHEDULING OF THEIR APPOINTMENTS.  If your advisor/director feels that the elective or CME request is not in the best interest of education and training, it may not be approved.

 

Your request for time away from the Residency is not officially accepted until you receive a copy of the requested form approved with the signature of the Residency Director.

You should expect a turn around time of 7-10 days between submission of your request receipt of the official approval or denial.

One Elective month may be done outside of Santa Fe County - this includes outside of the country.  Any two away rotations must be at least two months apart.  Electives need to be approved by the Residency Director.

 

Vacation and CME week blocks may not be taken within two weeks of an month away (for an elective or any other reason) or during a required two week rotation.

 

 

D.  ABSENCE FROM RESIDENCY

The American Board of Family Medicine has stated that thirty (30) days per year absence from the residency is maximum.  This has been interpreted as vacation, sick leave, educational leave and locum tenens participation.  Any absence from the program in excess of 30 days must be made up beyond the expected completion date.

 

A resident will not be absent without first obtaining permission from the Residency Director.  The resident must inform the attending of that service far enough in advance so that arrangements can be made.  These arrangements are formalized through the residency administrator.

 

The resident planning leave should arrange for the care of any inpatient that (s)he is following, including arrangements for coverage of OB patients.

 

Vacation
2nd and 3rd year residents receive 21 days of vacation per year 15 weekdays and 6 weekend days.  Vacations should be taken in 1 week blocks (maximum of 9 days together). The policy of the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is that vacation time must be taken in the year of the service for which the vacation is granted.  Vacation time and not accumulated at the end of the residency (terminal vacation).  The Board also states that the last month of the  PGY-3 (final month of the residency) may not be used as vacation time and no two vacation periods may be concurrent (e.g. last month of PGY-2 and first month of PGY-3 in sequence is not permissible). Vacation time from required rotations less than one month is not allowed.

 

Sick Days
Unscheduled sick days away from the Residency Program are expected.  Combined annual leave, sick days and educational/locum tenens absence may not, however, exceed 30 days. Time away in excess of 30 days must be made up.

 

If a resident is sick and will not be available for their assigned clinic, specialty or educational commitments they must call the continuity clinic, the attending on service (if applicable) and their specialty attending.  In addition, the Residency office must be notified.  Upon return from their absence, the resident is requested to complete a “leave “ form and return it to the residency office.  Residents should remember that scheduled sick days are acceptable for appointments at UNMH or other health care appointments.

 

Holidays
Residents shall be entitled to seven holidays off  per year with pay.  The following holidays will be considered holidays with pay: New years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Eve. Holidays falling on a Saturday shall be observed on the following Monday.

 

Locum Tenens/Educational Leave
Second and third year residents who have a permanent medical license may request permission to do one week (5 working days) of locum tenens service and/or CME each year.  Approval will be granted by the Residency Director, based on the educational value of the opportunity and the resident’s record of attending scheduled learning sessions.  The university has established a Locum Tenens Office which will help to put together doctors seeking coverage with residents/faculty willing to provide it.  Liability coverage is provided for physicians working through the Locums Tenens Office.  While you are not limited to locums through this office, should you choose to go outside, the university  malpractice will not apply and you must have separate coverage for this work.  The details of the locums must be in writing for inclusion in the resident’s file.  Forms are available through the residency administrator’s office.

 

Leave of Absence
A leave of absence may be granted if sufficient reason for such leave exists.  However, the resident should be aware that a third-year (PGY-3) completion date fulfilling the full 36-month requirement must be no later than June 30th of any year in order to be allowed to sit for the concurrent July certification examination, assuming all other requirements are in order.  Any resident who does NOT complete the full 36-months of training by June 30th of a given year must wait until the following qualification period for the certification examination. 

 

Maternity, Paternity and Family Leave
The Northern New Mexico Family Medicine Residency Program recognizes the legitimacy of integrating child-bearing into the years of post-graduate medical education.  The following points have been agreed to by the various residency programs at UNM.

 

Return date to work (part-time or full-time) after pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions is to be determined by the resident’s personal physician.

Paid time off cannot exceed the total annual of 30 days.

 

Leave of absence without pay can be extended up to 3 months.  Make-up time for the purposes of Board eligibility is determined by the regulations of the ABFM.

 

 

E. POLICY STATEMENT ON USMLE STEP III

The New Mexico Board of Medical Examiners allows UNM Resident Physicians to take USMLE Step III at the end of their first year of training.  The exam is administered by the Federation of State Medical Boards and taken at Sylvan Learning Centers.  The New Mexico Board of Medical Examiners allows the option for residents to apply for a NM Public Service license at the same time that they apply to take the exam.  Applications for the examination can be obtained on line at www.fsmb.org or by calling (817) 571-2949, or through the GME Office. To obtain a public service application you may FAX your request to the Board at (505) 827-7377.  The New Mexico Board of Medical Examiners requires Step III to be taken within seven years of passing Step II.  GME office will offer assistance with the forms upon request.

 

The Office of GME requires Step II to be successfully completed by the end of the first year of training (HO I) and Step III to be successfully completed by the end of the second year of training (HO II).  Completion of USMLE Step III shall be a requirement for successful completion of the HO II training year.  It will be the responsibility of Program Directors in each specialty to monitor compliance with the completion of USMLE Step III.  Residents who are not in compliance shall not be promoted to the next level of training.  Program Directors may elect to continue a Resident who does not pass Step III at the same level of training under a probationary status for a period that does not exceed three months.  The Program Director shall be responsible for securing funding for the additional months of a resident training.  The resident may also be required to complete additional months of training to satisfy ABFM requirements.  Residents who do not pass Step III by then end of the probationary period shall be terminated from the training program.  Residents who join the training programs and enter above the HO II level are required to have successfully completed USMLE Step III prior to acceptance into an UNM GME training program.

 

 

F.  GRIEVANCES AND DUE PROCESS

If there is any reason for failure to advance or graduate, the resident’s advisor or the residency director will discuss this verbally and in writing with each resident as soon as problems are identified.  If there is any problem with graduation or promotion of any resident, a program for review and institution of any interim grievance procedure will be developed so that the resident can try to solve any grievances within the program rather than relying upon the institution-wide program at the University of New Mexico. 

 

If a resident wishes to file a grievance, subject to the faculty action regarding his/her evaluation and/or advancement and/or graduation, the resident should file within one month period of such notification an internal grievance to the residency program director.  The residency program director shall form an ad hoc appellate committee which shall meet and conduct a hearing regarding the possible negative action re-advancement and/or graduation.  This committee shall conduct the hearing and make a formal recommendation to the residency program director, who will then take this recommendation to another meeting of the faculty which is charged with the ultimate decision. 

 

This internal appellate committee shall be composed of 3 faculty members and 2 residents and shall be chaired by the residency director.  If the resident is not satisfied with the decision made by the grievance committee, the resident will then have recourse to the institutional due process procedures which are outlined in detail in the UNM resident’s handbook.

 

 

G.  MOONLIGHTING
Refer to Addendum 5 of the University of New Mexico Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual.

 

The Family Medicine Residency will comply with this policy.  Any FM resident who wishes to moonlight must have completed one year in residency and must have obtained a training license from the New Mexico Board of Medical Examiners.  They are also responsible for obtaining their own liability coverage. He or she must obtain the proper form from the residency office, fill it out completely, and have it signed by the residency director before starting the job.  Failure to comply with this procedure may be grounds for dismissal. If the resident is unable to meet residency responsibilities for any work that doesn’t go through the locum tenens office moonlighting privileges will be terminated.

 

H.  Health Insurance
Refer to UNM Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual

 

I. DEA Number
Refer to UNM Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual

 

J.  Harassment Policy
Refer to UNM Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual

 

K.  Licensure
Refer to UNM Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual

 

L.  OSHA
Refer to UNM Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual

 

M.  Loans
Refer to UNM Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual

 

N.  Substance Abuse
Refer to UNM Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual

 

O.  Hepatitis B. Vaccine
Refer to UNM Houseofficers and the University Regulation and Benefit Manual

 

 

 

 

 

 

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