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“The Prognosis Is Poor”: When to Give Up

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Remediation in Medical Education

Abstract

This chapter begins by defining the success and failure of remediation efforts through three case examples. The author proposes defining a successful remediation as both achieving minimum competency when compared to peers and demonstrating sustained improvement over a period of time. Because not all learners who enter remediation will meet these expectations, the author reviews practical and ethical limitations to remediation and a list of signs that remediation will not be successful and that it is time to stop. Documentation is crucial to convey learner’s deficiencies, justify grades, remedial actions and dismissal, and to protect individuals and institutions from legal action. Comprehensive documentation guidelines and examples are provided. The meaning of the terms academic warning, focused review, and probation are compared and contrasted. Lastly, legal education is provided about due process for medical students and residents. When due process has been served and the institution’s policies are applied without discrimination, the courts have repeatedly upheld academic and disciplinary decisions made by medical school faculty.

Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. —George Edward Woodberry

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    Jeannette Guerrasio M.D.

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  1. Jeannette Guerrasio M.D.
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Correspondence to Jeannette Guerrasio M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Medical Education, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    Adina Kalet

  2. Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA

    Calvin L. Chou

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Guerrasio, J. (2014). “The Prognosis Is Poor”: When to Give Up. In: Kalet, A., Chou, C. (eds) Remediation in Medical Education. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9025-8_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9025-8_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-9024-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9025-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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