Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
05:04
Using Simulation Models to Train Clinicians in the Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound
Published on: August 9, 2024
Physicians reentering clinical practice: characteristics and clinical abilities
Elizabeth S Grace1, Elizabeth J Korinek, Lindsay B Weitzel
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USA. esgrace@cpepdoc.org
Summary
Physicians returning to practice after an absence are a diverse group. Most require some education, but few have significant deficits, suggesting objective assessments are crucial before re-entry.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physician Re-entry
- Clinical Competency Assessment
Background:
- Limited data exists on physicians returning to practice after career breaks.
- The Center for Personalized Education for Physicians (CPEP) offers reentry programs and assessments.
- This study examines licensure status, performance, and characteristics of reentering physicians.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the clinical competency of physicians reentering practice.
- To identify factors correlating with performance in reentering physicians.
- To inform policy regarding physician re-entry requirements.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-two physicians in a CPEP reentry program participated.
- Objective clinical skills assessment included interviews, simulated patients, and cognitive screening.
- Physicians were rated on educational needs from 1 (best) to 4 (worst).
Main Results:
- Participants averaged 53.7 years; 40.3% were female.
- Common reasons for absence: family, health, retirement, or administration.
- Performance varied, with 24.2% in the best group (rating 1) and 6.5% in the worst (rating 4).
- Longer absence and older age correlated with poorer performance.
Conclusions:
- Physicians reentering practice are heterogeneous.
- Most require some education, but few have global deficits.
- Objective assessment is justified for physicians returning to practice.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care.
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution itself.
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution itself.
01:16Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
01:22The Professional Nurse
Professional nurses are not limited to bedside care and are taking roles of greater responsibility. A nurse should have a knowledge-based practice, including personal, theoretical, procedural, cultural, and reflexive knowledge. Additionally, nurses must be competent in cognitive, technical, interpersonal, and ethical/legal skills. Some of the best attributes of successful nurses include the following:
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
01:17Classification of Illness
The meaning of illness is individualized to each person who experiences an alteration in health. In contrast, disease is a medical term indicating a pathological change in the structure and function of the body or mind. It is a condition that has specific symptoms and boundaries.
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
01:18Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-II
An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care. Here are a few more healthcare professionals.
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist (PT) aims to restore function or prevent additional impairment in a patient following an injury or disease. Massage, heat, cold, water, sonar waves, exercises, and electrical stimulation are some treatments used by PTs to treat...
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist (PT) aims to restore function or prevent additional impairment in a patient following an injury or disease. Massage, heat, cold, water, sonar waves, exercises, and electrical stimulation are some treatments used by PTs to treat...
01:11Clinical Trials: Overview
Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...