Safety

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons accreditation standards (B1.3.9) require that every residency program have specific policies with respect to resident safety. The policy should allow resident discretion and judgment regarding their personal safety and ensure residents are appropriately supervised during all clinical encounters.

The document, https://pgme.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/02/Health-Personal-Safety-Policy-PGEC-2011.pdf, provides procedures for reporting and responding to specific circumstances.

Residents have the right to a safe environment during their residency training. The responsibility for promoting a culture and safe environment is shared between the University, the faculty of medicine, the hospitals/clinical departments, residency training programs and the residents themselves.

For Residents

• To provide information and communicate safety concerns to the program and to comply with safety policies.

For Residency Training Programs

• To act promptly to address identified safety concerns and incidents and to be proactive in providing a safe learning environment

Note: On occasion, residents/fellows may be confronted with a situation for which they are not sufficiently trained. It is expected that they, like other physicians, will deal with such situations as practicing professionals to the best of their ability.

The Program Director is always available to provide support and guidance.