Physicians reentering clinical practice: characteristics and clinical abilities

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physician Reentry
• Clinical Competency Assessment

Background:

• Limited data exists on physicians returning to practice after career breaks.
• The Center for Personalized Education for Physicians (CPEP) assesses and educates such physicians.
• This study examines licensure status, performance, and characteristics of reentering physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the clinical competency of physicians returning to practice after an absence.
• To identify factors correlating with performance in a reentry program.
• To inform policy regarding physician reentry into patient care.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-two physicians voluntarily returning to practice underwent assessment.
• Objective clinical skills assessment included interviews, simulated patients, documentation, and cognitive screening.
• Physicians were rated on educational needs (1=low, 4=high).

Main Results:

• Participants averaged 53.7 years; 40.3% were female. Reasons for absence included family, health, retirement, and administration.
• 24.2% had minimal educational needs (rating 1), while 6.5% had significant deficits (rating 4).
• Longer absence from practice and increased age correlated with poorer performance.

Conclusions:

• Physicians returning to practice are heterogeneous, with most needing some education but few showing global deficits.
• The findings support mandatory objective assessments for physicians before resuming patient care.
• Patterns in reentering physician performance can guide future reentry policies.