Policies & Procedures

Find policies and procedures for McGaw Medical Center trainees as well as for directors and coordinators below.

Trainee Policies

Accommodation for Disabilities

McGaw is committed to an inclusive training environment. Programs will not discriminate against any trainee or applicant because of a physical or mental disability. A trainee or applicant is qualified if they can perform the essential functions of the relevant program, with or without a reasonable accommodation, as determined by the program. FULL POLICY

At-Home Call

Time spent on patient care activities by trainees on at-home call must count toward the 80-hour maximum weekly limit and logged accordingly in New Innovations. FULL AT-HOME CALL POLICY

Board Eligibility

It is the responsibility of both the program and trainee to be aware of published specialty board examination requirements for relevant ABMS boards. FULL BOARD ELIGIBILITY POLICY

Clinical Experience & Education Compliance Monitoring

Every McGaw program must comply with the current clinical experience and education requirements specified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). FULL CLINICAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE POLICY

Conduct, Professionalism & Performance

Trainees should strive for excellence in all aspects. This includes professional demeanor and conduct at all times. FULL CONDUCT POLICY

Evaluation (Trainee, Faculty & Program Evaluation)

Evaluation and feedback are critical to trainees’ development and continuous improvement in the educational process. FULL EVALUATION POLICY

Examination Requirements

Passing USMLE Step 1 and USMLE Step 2 (Clinical Knowledge) exams – or Canadian/osteopathic equivalent – are prerequisites for McGaw residency programs. Fellows must pass USMLE Step 3 (or equivalent) before starting their training. FULL EXAM POLICY

Extension of Training Due to Leaves of Absence

Any of the permissible leaves listed in the Leaves of Absence policy, if excessive, may lead to the necessity to extend training beyond the final year in order to make up training time. FULL TRAINING EXTENSION POLICY

H1-B Visas & Exceptional Candidates

Any candidate requesting an H-1B visa must be reviewed by our DIO and the GMEC for approval prior to ranking or offering placement. FULL VISA POLICY

Hospital Policies

Each McGaw member hospital maintains its own individual policies. These policies include such topics as HIPAA, infection control, professionalism, discrimination and harassment, and impairment. Housestaff members are responsible for complying with any applicable hospital policies and procedures and should review them from time to time, as they may be subject to change. Failure to comply with hospital policies, including those in place at the hospital at which a housestaff member is based and at any hospital at which the housestaff member rotates, may result in disciplinary action from McGaw. Links to some hospital-specific policies and procedures are provided below.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital/Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
- Mission Statement and Code of Conduct
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Code of Conduct
- Non-Retaliation Policy
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
- Standards of Behavior
- VA Drug-Free Workplace Guide (mandatory compliance)

Impairment

Trainees must remain fit for duty at all times, which means that they must be able to perform their duties in a safe, appropriate and effective manner. FULL IMPAIRMENT POLICY

Intellectual Property

Trainees may be involved in intellectual property (IP) development while appointed through McGaw. Any IP created as a result must be reviewed by the McGaw IP Committee. FULL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY POLICY

Interactions Between Vendor Representatives/Corporations (Industry) &Trainees

Trainees must adhere to policies regarding interactions between vendor/industry representatives/corporations and trainees. FULL INDUSTRY POLICY

Lactation & Milk Expression

McGaw supports all trainees who provide breast milk for their children. Find lactation rooms available at each base hospital are located. FULL LACTATION POLICY

Licensure

Each trainee must have a valid Illinois medical license. FULL LICENSURE POLICY

McGaw Social Media

Trainees must be cautious using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. FULL SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Moonlighting/Extra Call for Pay

The term "moonlighting" refers to clinical work outside of the activities of the training program. Some training programs may offer pay for taking additional call (extra call for pay). Neither can interfere with a resident's or fellow’s training. FULL MOONLIGHTING POLICY

Non-Harassment & Non-Discrimination

McGaw strictly prohibits discrimination or harassment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, unfavorable discharge from military service or any other Protected Categories. FULL NON-HARASSMENT POLICY

Non-Retaliation or Intimidation

McGaw is committed to providing a supportive educational environment. An important part of that commitment is to maintain a culture that fosters learning. FULL NON-RETALIATION POLICY

Probation, Suspension, Non-Renewal, Non-Promotion & Dismissal (Separation)

The purpose of this policy is to establish uniform expectations and procedures regarding trainee probation, suspension, non-renewal, non-promotion and dismissal. FULL PROBATION, ETC. POLICY

Reporting & Addressing Trainee Concerns & Grievances

McGaw is committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment. Trainees who have any concerns regarding their environment may raise them without fear of intimidation or retaliation. FULL REPORTING POLICY

Responding to Training Verification & Other Requests From Third Parties

Programs are encouraged to consult with McGaw with questions regarding third-party requests for verification and/or adjudication of training, especially regarding an individual subject to corrective or disciplinary action. FULL THIRD-PARTY REQUEST POLICY

Safe & Healthy Learning

The McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University is committed to the principle that educational relationships should be one of mutual respect between teacher and learner. FULL SAFE & HEALTHY LEARNING POLICY

Safety Awareness

Trainees should be aware of several safety precautions one should employ while living and commuting in Chicago. FULL OVERVIEW

Sleep, Fatigue & Fitness

Adequate sleep and rest is needed in order for trainees to appropriately care for patients. FULL SLEEP, FATIGUE & FITNESS POLICY

Stipends

All trainees will be paid the published stipend rate appropriate to postgraduate year level for the clinical training program to which they are appointed. FULL STIPEND POLICY

Supervision

The progressively graduated conditional independence of a trainee should be determined by each program and individualized to be commensurate with the clinical circumstances and ability of the trainee. FULL SUPERVISION POLICY

Timely Completion of Assigned Tasks

McGaw residents and fellows are responsible for completing all training and other hospital compliance tasks in a timely manner as required. FULL TIMELY COMPLETION POLICY

Training Certification

Eligibility to receive a training certificate requires 12 months of satisfactory performance as determined by the Program Director. FULL CERTIFICATE POLICY

Transitions of Care

A responsibility of the Institution is to ensure and monitor effective, structured hand-over processes to facilitate both continuity of care and patient safety. FULL TRANSITIONS OF CARE POLICY

Director & Coordinator Policies

Internationally Funded Training

Training funded by external entities including foreign governments may represent an opportunity to train future regional and/or international thought leaders. FULL INTERNATIONAL FUNDING POLICY

Leaves of Absence

Any of the permissible leaves of absence are outlined on the Time Away from Training page under Benefits & Resources.

Non-Competition

The McGaw Letter of Agreement does not include any non-competition limitations or requirements. FULL NON-COMPETE POLICY

Off-Cycle & Part-Time Training

Training at McGaw is to be on-cycle (July-June) and full time with only extraordinary extenuating circumstances being considered for exception. FULL OFF-CYCLE & PART-TIME POLICY

Program Closure or Reduction in Complement

If a program is considering a reduction in complement or closure of a training program, the Program Director will inform the Designated Institutional Officials (DIOs), and the Graduate Medical Education Committee will review and approve the decision. FULL CLOSURE & REDUCTION POLICY