Notification of Complaint Regarding Postgraduate Trainees

Preamble

The Medical Act¹ and Medical Practitioners Regulations² state that the purpose and duties of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (the College) are:

1. to serve and protect the public interest in the practice of medicine, and
2. to preserve the integrity and maintain public confidence of the medical profession in the ability of the College to regulate the practice of medicine.

Purpose

This policy describes the due process undertaken by the College in the event a complaint is initiated by the Registrar or received from an external source regarding a postgraduate trainee (PGT).

Scope

This policy applies to all postgraduate trainees who are the subject of a complaint related to an event that occurred while registered in a postgraduate training program in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University.

Policy

If and when the College discovers the respondent was a postgraduate trainee at times relevant to the complaint, the College will notify both the relevant Program Director and Dalhousie University’s Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) office of the complaint whether the PGT is in training or has already graduated. Only the general nature of the complaint will be disclosed at the time of notification. The PGT subject to the complaint will be copied on the notification.

Further disclosure of information related to the complaint and the investigation will be provided to the Program Director and the PGME office at the discretion of the Registrar.

The PGT, their Program Director and the PGME office will be provided a copy of the full decision once the complaint is resolved.

Resources

1. Nova Scotia Medical Act
2. Medical Practitioners Regulations