AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIANS OF INDIAN ORIGIN (AAPI) CLINICAL OBSERVERSHIP
1. INTRODUCTION:
The process of getting a residency spot in USA is becoming competitive for IMGs and as such, “United States Clinical Experience” is very important to distinguish your application between other applicants. Searching to participate in right observership program is important. Thirty-seven percent of individuals entering the Residency Match in 2018 were International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Data from the Educational Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates show that more than 90% of IMGs report some type of U.S.-based clinical experience before successfully matching—the most common experience was a clinical observership conducted either at a hospital (40%) or a private physician practice (25%). Observerships should be regulated as a component of graduate medical education (GME). Currently, clinical observerships remain completely unregulated. Although the American Medical Association IMG Section has published guidelines on observerships and offers a voluntary listing of programs on their Web site, there is no direct oversight. An Internet-based search showed that academic centers, community hospitals, private practices, and medical associations all offer observerships. There are also several for-profit broker services. The range of advertised experiences and costs are highly variable.
Some programs cost $1,000 to observers while others charge $5,000 per month. The length of these experiences varies from a few days to several months. AAPI venturing into this new area to help medical students and graduates regardless of IMG’S or local medical students shall be a great step forward. These future physicians will patronize AAPI in the future services and strong relationship and bonding is formed at the initial level of observership.
2. DEFINITION
Clinical Observership Experience: Structured and supervised Clinical rotations administered by U.S licensed physicians and institutions. During the Clinical Experience, physician sponsors may employ licensed Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, or other licensed professionals who participate in licensed care of their patients. Visitors may be assigned to these professionals for a partial duration of their rotation, while still remaining under the direct supervision of a U.S physician.
3. OBSERVERSHIP ONLY
An observership shall be strictly an observational tutorial program. Accordingly, each Participant shall only be permitted to observe the activities and to discuss his/her observations with applicable designated mentor. A Participant shall not have access to hands-on patient care or contact, examination, research or other work during his/her observership. A Participant shall at all times be treated by the entity as a visitor and any Department or physician that allows a Participant to do more than observe may be denied the privilege of having observership Participants in the future.
AAPI’s Role
- AAPI will arrange clinical observership for Foreign Medical Graduates through its members who are willing to act as mentors.
- Observers [AAPI MEMBERS] will be compensated for their work. [$1,000 per month]
- A Foreign Medical Graduate who is looking for a clinical observership will contact AAPI for this opportunity.
- The Student will sign a contract with AAPI. The Organization will be compensated to the tune of $1,500 per month in order to arrange for this observership
AAPI OBSERVERSHIP
A. SERVICES PROVIDED
I. Institution/Mentor shall host visitors in their 4-week Hands On Clinical Experience Program, effective from the date of this signing on the condition that AAPI is able to locate and place a Visitor. Further, Institution agrees to provide direct physician supervision of Visitor during the entirety of the Clinical Experience. The clinical experience shall include at least 4 days a week of instruction for the 4-week period.
II. Invitation: If requested, Institution/Mentor shall provide a signed invitation letter to the visitor for the purpose of travel and visa issues. AAPI shall follow all institutional regulations and guidelines regarding hosting a clinical visitor. Physician/Institution shall provide to AAPI a full list of necessary documentation regarding Visitor orientation in their Clinical Experience. If visitor fails to attend for any reason, the agreement shall be null and void for that 4-week period, and Institution shall not be entitled to any compensation for that period.
III. Institutional Mentor: Once Institution/Mentor and AAPI have confirmed a student for a 4-week period and student has paid, the agreement is considered valid for that 4-week period. Once Institution/Mentor has confirmed for the time period, Institution /Mentor shall notify AAPI of physician cancellation at least 60 days in advance of visitor start date. This agreement will renew annually unless either party terminates the agreement with at least 60 days’ notice by written or electronic mail.
IV. Supervision: Institution/mentor shall assign visitor a board licensed
V. Physician supervisor for the entirety of their clinical experience, this supervisor shall provide clinical supervision and oversight of Visitor’s clinical experience. Both parties shall designate a specific liaison to serve as a point of contact between the Parties for the purpose of exchanging paperwork and communications regarding Visitor’s and Institution’s Clinical Experience.
VI. Substitution Policy: Institution/mentor shall, in absolutely no circumstance, substitute visitors for Institution staff for any purpose, function or task while visitor is participating in the clinical Observership experience. Institution staff and supervisors shall, under no circumstances, allow visitor knowledge, opinion, or skill to influence any decision relating to patient care that is the responsibility of Institution staff.
VII. AAPI Responsibility AAPI shall be responsible for collecting and reviewing visitor applications and placing visitors that maintain good standing with their home institution. AAPI shall ensure that all required paperwork, orientation materials, and on-boarding procedures that are required by institution/ Mentor are completed and sent to institution prior to Visitor start date.
VIII. AAPI Housing Service AAPI may provide visitors with housing resources in the area of
Institution. Visitor is solely responsible for choosing and reserving housing that best fits their needs.
4. COMPENSATION
AAPI shall compensate Institution/Mentor the sum one thousand dollars ($1,000) USD per visitor for each four-week Clinical Observership. AAPI shall provide compensation within 5 business days of clinical experience completion.
A. Refund Policy:
Institution/Mentor shall, in the event that if they are unable to provide the full four-week Clinical Experience, refund or relinquish claim to all of the compensation paid for each full week where no instruction was possible. The amount shall be twenty-five percent (25%) for each full week the Clinical Experience was unavailable.
5. CONFIDENTIALITY:
Each physician shall ensure that a Participant maintains the confidentiality of records and files of the University during a Participant’s observership.
6. EVALUATION AND CRITIQUE
In order to ascertain the effectiveness of the program, each party shall evaluate each other prior to issuing any certificate of completion. Process of Evaluation determines whether program activities have been implemented as intended and resulted in certain outputs. Results of a process evaluation will strengthen AAPI’s ability to report on the program and use information to improve future activities.
7. ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP
AAPI General Counsel is further researching into the issues of liability and insurance coverage for such program and shall update the EC on its findings.