Welcome from the Director
Applicant Resources
Use the following resources to learn more about our training
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Contract and Benefits
SUMMARY INFORMATION FOR ALL APPOINTMENTS
The Orientation Program is required for all residents. Mailings sent at the beginning of April will have additional information.
In support of the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals (MCV Hospitals) at Virginia Commonwealth University's commitment to provide safe and efficient patient care services and promote an environment that is drug free, all individuals offered employment through MCV Hospitals are required to successfully complete a pre-placement drug screen as a condition of employment.
The Medical College of Virginia Hospitals is self-insured for medical malpractice and provides professional liability (medical malpractice) coverage for each member of the MCV housestaff. Coverage is available for any claim arising out of health care or professional services provided to a patient by a member of the MCV housestaff while on duty as assigned in one of MCV's affiliated hospitals or programs. Coverage is not provided for any other health care or professional services, e.g., moonlighting activities at outside facilities or institutions. Coverage is not provided for intentional misconduct, including acts committed while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or narcotics, criminal acts, sexual misconduct, or illegal activity. Coverage is available up to the limitation on recovery in the Virginia Tort Claims Act (if applicable); for claims to which the Virginia Tort Claims Act does not apply, coverage is available up to the amount of the medical malpractice cap on recovery contained in the Virginia Medical Malpractice Act. This coverage covers all costs associated with alleged medical negligence claims, including indemnity payments, attorney's fees, expert witness fees, other expenses and defense costs. Coverage is provided for all alleged medical negligence claims that arise out of health care or professional services provided while the resident is enrolled in his/her training program, even if the claim is not asserted until after the resident completed or ceased participation in the training program (also known as "tail coverage").
VCU Health benefits includes health insurance available for all VCU Health housestaff and their immediate family members through payroll deduction. Group Life and Disability Insurance is provided at no cost to the housestaff member. Supplemental Group Life Insurance is available at the housestaff member's expense.
Direct deposit is a condition of employment for all VCUHS employees paid by the VCUHS Payroll Operations Department. Direct deposit promotes automation and streamlining efficiencies by offering employees faster access to their pay and the additional security, convenience and flexibility of electronic banking.
All members of the housestaff are entitled to a vacation of three weeks. Additional compensation is not provided in lieu of vacation.
Sick leave is provided to housestaff members in the amount of thirty calendar days within a year's contract period, which does not carry forward.
Family and Medical leave for members of the MCV housestaff complies with the family and medical leave policy established by Virginia Commonwealth University/VCUHS. All leave in excess of vacation may have an effect upon completion of training pending or the individual program requirements. Please contact your program director for further information.
In certain cases, authorized absence of housestaff members may jeopardize Board certification. In the event that the time missed needs to be made up to satisfy educational requirements (e.g., at the end of the normal term of appointment), the institution will be requested to continue to pay all salary and fringe benefits during the extended appointment.
Housestaff members, as physicians and dentists in Graduate Medical Education, are required to observe the professional dress standards established by the institution. See our recommendations for professional Attire and details on professionalism for further policy details.
Residents are evaluated for their performance on at least a semi-annual basis. See the complete policy: Assessment, Promotion, Discipline and Dismissal Policy
Housestaff may be disciplined for infraction of institutional rules, for unsatisfactory service and/or for conduct unethical or unbecoming of a physician. Disciplinary matters are handled by the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and the Dean of the School of Medicine. An appeal procedure is available and discussed in detail within the Assessment, Promotion, Discipline and Dismissal Policy policy.
Residents are provided with fair and reasonable written institutional policies and procedures for grievance and due process.
Each program has developed program-specific moonlighting policies and criteria for participation for their residents. Please see your program director for policies regarding moonlighting, duty hours and other employment activities. See the Moonlighting Policy for general institution regulations.
Confidential stress resources are available in the Housestaff Handbook or contact your Chief Resident, Program Director or the GME office. The employee Assistance Program (EAP) and GME office provides referrals.
VCU Health provides vaccines with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Hospital Infection Control Practices (HICPAC) as well as the MCVH Infection Control Policy.
Flu vaccinations are mandatory for all employees, including Housestaff, in order to protect our patients, visitors and other team members. The vaccinations are available at no cost through an annual clinic. Exemptions for documented medical contraindications and/or religious reasons will be considered.
A stipend is provided based upon hours worked in-house per week.
Parking is available through payroll deduction. Parking is subsidized by VCUHS as a benefit to Housestaff.
Call quarters are available to Housestaff as needed.
Housestaff are provided with either white coats or fleece vests, as well as scrubs at no additional cost. Linen Services handles laundry needs for all items.
Please contact your Program Director to determine if any of these certifications are required. Your program can provide information on scheduling.
Sittercity and Years Ahead memberships are both fully paid by VCUHS and allow you to hand-select local caregivers for your unique needs and budget. SelectPlus is America's largest and most trusted website for connecting families with quality local in-home caregivers with over 1 million caregivers nationwide. Your SelectPlus benefit gives you online access to local caregivers (babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, certified senior care advisors, senior facilities, etc.) and their profiles including background checks, references, reviews, pictures, and more. Employees are responsible for making all arrangements, including the selection of providers and cost of care.
VCUHS offers our employees the Employer Assisted Housing Program (EAHP), which provides home buying education, from pre-purchase through post-purchase. Together with the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA), EAHP also includes quarterly 6-hour classes including information about budgeting, credit and credit issues, working with realtors, the role of the lender, home inspections and loan closings. Financial Fitness Plus!, asset-building workshops, address banking services, budgeting, saving and credit management. Additionally, VCUHS employees can take advantage of our university-facilitated relationship with Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) which provides a wide range of home buying consultative services to individuals and their families in the Richmond area, including foreclosure prevention and intervention.
The VCUHS Medical Staff Impairment Policy defines the policy and procedure for addressing potential impairment among physicians, dentists and other practitioner medical staff. This policy can be found in the VCU Health intranet.
All housestaff are recognized as members of the Hospital Professional Staff. As such they are expected to know Hospital Policies including but not limited to: Patient Confidentiality, Sexual Harassment, Drug Testing for Cause, Guest Relations, Informed Consent, Risk Management and Advance Directives. Housestaff must respect patient confidentiality at all times and in all locations. Housestaff should be familiar with the Hospital Guest Relations program. All Housestaff are expected to participate in hospital wide education programs as requested.
This agreement is intended to comply with all the requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
*Other GME related policies can be found here.
*The information provided above represents a brief summary of policies, benefits, and responsibilities. More detailed information on the above can be obtained using the lefthand menu on this website.
Salary Scale
Compensation for the 2024-2025 academic year can be seen on the current Housestaff Salary Scale. Determination of PGY Salary Levels is based on the Graduate Medical Education Committee’s Stipend Policy, which can also be found under our Core Policies section below.
Policies
Core Policies
- Assessment, Promotion, Discipline and Dismissal Policy
- Duty Hours Policy
- Grievance Policy
- Leave and Vacation Policy
- Moonlighting Policy
- Eligibility and Selection Policy
- Well-being Policy
- Supervision of Trainees Policy
- Transitions of Care
- Survey Use in the Resident Population
- Sex-Based Misconduct Policy
- Educational Rotation Policy
- Program Letter of Agreement Terms and Conditions
- Stipend Policy
For assistance accessing any of these policies, please contact gmeadmin@vcuhealth.org.
Terms and Conditions of Service
The housestaff is responsible to the Medical Staff for the professional care of patients and to the Administration for compliance with policies and regulations of the Hospital and Medical or Dental School.
Residents are graduate (medical or dental) students and their relationship with the institutions is an educational and training relationship. Residents are compensated as employees of the VCU Health Systems of Virginia Commonwealth University, but the resident’s employment relationship with the VCU Health System, which consists of MCV Hospitals, School of Medicine clinical departments, and MCV Physicians, is derivative of and dependent upon the resident’s continued enrollment as a graduate (medical or dental) student of the University.
Residents are assigned by the program director or his/her designee. Special preference and interests should be made known to the program director. Any necessary change because of illness, other emergencies, or the need for prolonged training must be made by the resident with the appropriate program director in consultation with the Director of Graduate Medical Education.
The chief resident, the faculty member on duty, and the departmental chairman of each service are responsible for the activities of the residents on each service as stated in the department’s supervision document. The medical staff and the administration are very interested in the general welfare of all patients, students, and housestaff.
All policies subject to change and will be immediately applicable unless otherwise noted.