You are on page 1of 3

Observership Policy & Procedures

For Foreign Medical Graduates

According to the Council on Graduate Medical Education, observership is defined as a structured opportunity for an
IMG to observe clinical practice in a variety of health care settings under the guidance of a physician mentor and to
learn about the general structure, characteristics, and financing of health care delivery in the US. Therefore, the
observer has no direct patient care responsibilities but is encouraged to participate in daily teaching rounds and
discussion of patient care.
Goal:
The goal of the observership program is to introduce foreign medical graduate physicians a valuable chance to learn
how patient care is delivered in the United States, how the Medical Team is structured, different departments interact,
and how the latest medical technology are being used to provide care and treatment. Also, another goal of the
observership program is to strengthen the visiting physicians clinical knowledge in a particular specialty.
Due to the demand for Clinical Observership which often exceeds the team and rotations available, the program will do
its utmost to accommodate your request. The following policy and procedures will be in effect immediately.
Basic Requirements:
Applicant must be able to speak English
Applicant is required to have adequate health insurance coverage for the duration of their rotation.
Applicant is responsible for obtaining required immunizations or tests at his/her own expense before arrival in the
United States.
Applicant must have completed undergraduate and postgraduate medical training (a graduation certificate is
required).
Applicant must meet an experience requirement, which is fully trained international healthcare provider with
several years of experience and actively practicing or working in the healthcare field.
Applicant must be actively engaged in the practice of medicine.
If you meet all of these requirements, please send the required documents to Karen.Reyes@stagnes.org :
Cover Letter
Updated Curriculum Vitae
ECFMG Certificate
USMLE Scores with Score Performance Profile* (Required: Step 1 & Step 2 CS)
Health Insurance Card
Approved Government Photo Identification
NOTE: All documents must be submitted together and any incomplete documents will not be reviewed.

rev 05.08.2014

Approval for Observership:

Once approved and accepted for an observership, the applicant will be required to submit the following
documents:
Observership Application Form
PPD Test results; must be recent (within the last year)
(If your PPD result is positive, you must submit a copy of your Chest X-ray)
Provide proof of health insurance card for the duration of the observership
Flu Shot record; if flu season
Other Helpful Information:
Prior to your arrival at Saint Agnes Hospital, you will receive detailed information from the program
coordinator regarding your reporting time, location and assigned team.
On the first day of your observership, you will get your orientation in the Department of Medicine and watch
a series of DVDs and sign an Observership Contract Agreement Terms & Conditions.

Rules for Observership:


Applicant for observership cannot spend no more than 1 month of rotation.
Observers should not be wondering around the hospital alone.
Observers should always be with a medical resident, medical student and or sub-intern.
Letters of Recommendation at the end of rotation for the observer are not guaranteed.
Observership program does not guarantee an interview invitation during the recruitment season.
Observership program does not guarantee a spot in the residency program.
Observers can be removed at any time based on the discretion of the residency program (with the forfeiture of
observership fee).
Observers can be moved around team at the discretion of the residency program.
Applicant must have their own medical health insurance for the duration of their rotation.
Observer must abide by all policies, rules, regulations, and bylaws of Saint Agnes Hospital.
Observers are expected to dress in a professional manner. T-shirts, jeans, cutoffs, open-toe shoes, and other casual
articles of clothing are not permitted.
Limitation:
Observers are not medical staff and must not present as such, unless specified by the attending supervisor.
The title is properly identified as Observer. The duration of the observership will be for a period of 4 weeks.

rev 05.08.2014

Observers are approved for the following activities:


Attend morning and noon conferences
Attend daily rounds with residents
View and discuss patient interactions with the faculty and team
Access to library
Participate in grand rounds and other educational activities

Parking:
Parking at the Saint Agnes parking lot is at no charge. Please make sure that you park at the allotted visitors parking to
avoid towing.

Working Hours:
Working hours vary depending on your assigned team.

Meals:
The observer is responsible for her/his meals

Housing/Lodging & Transportation:


Housing is not provided for observers. You will be responsible for your own accommodations. At your request, the
program coordinator/residency administration will provide you a list of accommodations in the area.
The observer is responsible for her/his transportation.

Cancelation Policy:
Once your rotation has been confirmed by e-mail, you are expected to complete your delegated obsevership. If
cancellation is unavoidable, please submit a notification at least 60 days in advance. Please be aware that your
observership fee of $500.00 is non-refundable.

Observership Fee:
There is a $500.00 fee for a four week rotation. We accept cash, money order or check and can be made payable to
Department of Medicine Saint Agnes Hospital and payment is due at the day of orientation.

rev 05.08.2014

You might also like