Physician reentry: a concept whose time has come.

Abstract

Three retrainees were accepted into an innovative program designed to refresh skills to return physicians to the obstetrics and gynecology workforce after a voluntary leave of absence. The program was constructed in such a way that it did not affect existing training opportunities for medical students and residents. A protocol for application and acceptance was developed that incorporated an admissions committee and a fellowship director. The need for such retraining programs and considerations in structuring, including candidate selection, faculty involvement and support, needs assessment and curriculum development, and a protocol for administration are presented. It is hoped that other training programs with experienced educators and a surplus of clinical cases will use our model to establish their own physician reentry programs, returning these valuable members of the physician workforce to practice.