WHEN A RESIDENCY PROGRAM SHUTS DOWN By Aaron R. Kuzel, DO, MBA
Background
Hilary Davenport, DO, is currently at PGY-3 resident at the University of Louisville and will be starting an ultrasound fellowship at The Ohio State University Wexner School of Medicine in July. Dr. Davenport was a PGY-2 emergency resident at Hahnemann University Hospital prior to its closure August 16, 2019. Jordan Miller, DO, is the chief resident at Summa Health. Dr. Miller was a PGY-1 emergency medicine resident at Adena Health System in Chillicothe, Ohio prior to its loss of accreditation in 2020.
Hilary Davenport
Jordan Miller
Scott Poland
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Scott Poland, MD, is the emergency medicine ultrasound director and core faculty at Summa Health. Dr. Poland was a PGY-3 emergency resident at Summa Health prior to its closure in 2017.
Imagine, you are at the height of your residency. For four years you’ve dreamed of nothing but being able to practice emergency medicine at this residency. You’ve developed new relationships, have a new home, and you’re thriving and coming into your own as an emergency medicine physician. Suddenly, the rug is pulled out from under you, and you find yourself scrambling to find a new job, a new home, and calling every contact in your phone trying to find somewhere to complete your residency. This is a nightmare scenario for any resident; however, for these three emergency medicine physicians —Drs. Davenport, Miller, and Poland — it became a horrible reality. These residents were involved in the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital, Summa Health’s contract dispute and closure, and Adena Health’s accreditation loss. Yet despite these challenges, these three physicians overcame this adversity and are thriving in their careers as emergency physicians. Here they share their experience and insight on coping through career setbacks and their advice for other residents who may share similar experiences.
