Background Checks for Resident and Fellow Positions
gme-adm-0004
About This Policy
- Effective Date:
- 09-07-2016
- Date of Last Review/Update:
- 10-12-2021
- Responsible University Office:
- Graduate Medical Education
- Responsible University Administrator:
- Senior Associate Dean for GME
- Policy Contact:
GME Assistant Director Emilie Leveque
- Policy Feedback:
- If you have comments or questions about this policy, let us know with the policy feedback form.
- Print or view a PDF of this policy
- Many policies are quite lengthy. Please check the page count before deciding whether to print.
Scope
This policy applies to all Graduate Medical Education (GME) Residents in ACGME-accredited, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) sponsored training programs.Policy Statement
IUSM is committed to selecting and hiring the most capable house staff in order to pursue its strategic goals of excellence in teaching, learning, research, scholarship, creative activity and service to the community. Further, a law of the State of Indiana requires that a background check of all new employees regarding criminal activity as well as sex and violent offender convictions be conducted. IUSM and its affiliate hospitals also require background checks for all incoming residents.
Faculty, staff, students, volunteers and other personnel who work with children must have undergone criminal background checks and sex offender registry checks within the past three years. The checks must be repeated at least once every five years by state law.
Reason for Policy
The purpose of this policy is to addressthesteps required to solicit and acquire background information on resident and fellow appointees entering a graduate medical education program in IUSM.Procedures
IU has established a background check process that consists of two parts. First, the appointee will be required to complete a self-disclosure questionnaire and a consent form prior to the beginning of training. Secondly, a formal background check will be conducted by a firm under contract with IU which will include criminal history, sex and violent offender registries. Programs are directed to follow the instructions provided in the Procedure for Background Checks. Please refer to the Related Information section of this policy to see the full procedure.
A new resident or fellow will be not approved until a background check has been completed and the results of the check have been considered at the program and school levels. Thus, no resident or fellow can begin training until this process has been completed.
Checks on the education, employment, previous training and licensure of an applicant will continue to be the responsibility of the training program. In addition to the background checks, each faculty member, resident and fellow, medical student and all members of the IUSM community, must agree to and sign the IUSM Honor Code form.
Definitions
ACGME is the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
A resident is an IUSM resident or fellow, or a non-IUSM resident or fellow electively rotating through IUSM who provides clinical care as part of a GME program.
Implementation
The Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for GME is responsible for implementation of this policy.Oversight
Policy authority for this document resides with the Graduate Medical Education Committee. The DIO and the Graduate Medical Education Committee are responsible for oversight. This policy will be reviewed every three years or more often if deemed necessary.History
- Policy gme-adm-0004 approved by GMEC on 14 November 2012.
- Policy reviewed, updated, and approved by GMEC, and published on 07 September 2016.
- Policy updated for formatting 27 February 2018.
- Policy updated for formatting 27 June 2018.
- Updated by Policies & Procedures on 12 October 2021.
- Policy approved by GMEC 20 October 2021.