SYRIAN BOARD FOR MEDICAL SPECIALTIES –SBOMS- RESIDENCY PROGRAM POLICY

The residency criteria that the resident doctor must adhere to:

  1. Working exclusively in a hospital accredited by the SBOMS authority, totally or partially.
  2. The weekly training days are determined by five administrative training days with two shifts = (24+ 24+ 8 + 8 + 8) hours.
  3. Excluded from item (2) the following status, until the end of 2021:
    • Former Resident doctors, and those who have only one full-time academic year for graduation, can have a minimum of three days in a recognized hospital with two shifts (24+24+8). They must do extra time at the end of the residency program to match and complete their program, so everyone who lacks an administrative working day must increase the duration by 20% at the end of the training period.
  4. Commitment to the curriculum of the scientific council of the specialty training program.
  5. Presentation of the book of attendance (logbook), signed by the supervising doctor, and he/she is not allowed to sit for the initial or final written exam without this logbook, except for former -resident doctors who have completed their training period before the date – the first of the of October 2020.
  6. Have general medicine practicing license from the Directorate of Health in the region that he/she belongs to.
  7. Mastering and meeting the required skills each year according to the curriculum approved by all the specialty.
  8. Attend lectures and the planned scientific activities and may help and assist in the preparation or presenting.
  9. Participation in the programs of medical and scientific courses and attend clinical meetings and mortality discussion meetings.
  10. Commitment to follow-up specialist supervisor training.
  11. The completion of the training period approved in each specialty accompanying the supervising professor (can allow for some of the specialties only for a period not exceeding 10% of the total duration of Specialization to be without a supervisor, in the last year of the Specialization after obtaining the approval of the Scientific Council.
  12. Commitment to professional ethics and the signing of the Code of Conduct.
  13. Pass the exams set by the Scientific Council.
  14. Follow special criteria established by the scientific council.

Any resident for the Specialization will not be recognized unless he/she is training in a fully or partially recognized hospital. Every resident doctor who does not adhere to the standards of the SBOMS is classified as a medical service provider within the facility in which he/she works and not as a resident to specialize and thus does not obtain the certificate of the SBOMS.

Tasks and duties of Resident trainee:

  1. Participation in of the admission of new patients in the hospital and writing the follow-up daily viewing in the medical file (in the morning and the evening) based on the instructions and guidelines and recommendations of the physician and the senior resident doctor and under their supervision and follow-up.
  2. Documenting observations (clinical history, vital signs, re-writing therapy, and follow up of the results of laboratory and radiological investigation, surgical report and participate in the preparation of patients for all procedures and recommendations requested by the physician and the senior Resident, and any observations that may arise on the health and pathological status of the patients admitted for hospitalization) and present the clinical case hospitalized in the hospital by the seniors doctors and supervisors doctors.
  3. Following up and supervising the medication and feeding of patients and ensure that the nursing staff performs that duty.
  4. Accompanying the supervisor and senior Resident during their morning and evening visits in the ward and intensive care or while working in outpatient clinics, ER, and other units and sections of the hospital in the Specialization they belong to and helping them perform their duties while recording their observations in the patient’s file and ensure follow-up and implementation.
  5. Training to read the results of radiographs, ECG, and laboratory tests under the supervision of a senior doctor and the specialist doctor.
  6. According to schedules prepared by the Scientific Council and the Chief Resident doctors, continuous presence in the different wards is prepared.
  7. General supervision of the hygiene and order of the department and assuring the availability of equipment, medical devices, and supplies, and keeping the standard infection control and sterilization.
  8. Control the organization and accuracy of the patient’s file.
  9. He/she may not discharge patients or transfer them to another department or hospital.
  10. Compliance with the working hours and duties assigned in the shifts, according to the schedules and program prepared by the Scientific Council and Chief Resident doctors, may not leave the unit or department he/she works in without the supervisor doctor or senior’s permission Resident.
  11. He/she may intervene in life-saving cases or those that arise on the clinical point of the patients, which may lead to severe complications. In such cases, he/she shall inform the senior resident physician or the treating physician and document those procedures in the patient’s file.
  12. Preparing discharge reports under the direct supervision of the senior resident physician.
  13. Comply with any tasks and duties assigned to them by the supervising specialist or senior resident doctor.
  14. Training to work in the outpatient clinic under the supervision of the specialized physician and the senior Resident.
  15. Training and practicing on some interventions such as pleurocentesis and ascites and cerebral spinal fluid puncture.
  16. Follow-up the availability of medication and medical supplies in the ambulance.
  17. Participation in education and supporting patients and their families.
  18. Adherence to the facility or hospital policy in which he/she is training without any conflict with the policy of the residence program.

The required scientific activities of the resident trainees:

  1. Clinical case presentation session – Case presentation.
  2. Journal club.
  3. Scientific theory Lecture.
  4. Morbidity & mortality meeting.
  5. Infection Control Committee meeting.

Number of training years:

Training years are determined by a regulatory decision issued by the Syrian Commission for Medical Specialties based on approval of the board of directors and a recommendation by scientific councils regulations, given that training years are four years or more in main specializations (see the attached table).

The required training courses resident trainees:

  1. Basic Life Support (BLS) is mandatory for all trainees.
  2. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Mandatory for all trainees in internal specialties in all its branches – Anesthesia – Intensive Care – Emergency Medicine.
  3. Advanced Life Trauma Support (ATLS) is mandatory for all surgical trainees in all branches. Emergency medicine is optional for anesthesia and intensive care.
  4. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is mandatory for all trainees of pediatrics.
  5. Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) for all trainees in pediatrics – OB\GY – Emergency Medicine.
  6. EBM course and the principles of the predicate cycle of scientific research.
  7. (Communication Skills).
  8. A course in skills is delivering of unpleasant medical information for patients or their families (Breaking Bad News).

Policy Program

The sanctions policy:

A Syrian Board identifies sanctions for resident doctors for Medical Specialties (attached).

 

Vacation policy

Vacations for resident physicians are determine by a regulatory decision issued by the Syrian Board for Medical Specialties (attached).

Exams Policy

The policy of examinations for resident physicians is determined by a regulatory decision issued by the Syrian Board for Medical Specialties (attached).

Accredited centers of health facilities for training in the residency program:

The Central Committee for recognizing the terms of reference body and in cooperation with the relevant scientific councils determines the list of approved health facilities as training centers for residents in various medical specialties. Residents are sorted and rotated at the training centers based on the proposal of the relevant scientific council by the training program in SBOMS.

To see the names of the approved training centers

 

Note:In the absence of a hospital recognized by one of the specialties, a resident in this hospital is admitted by a special decision by the board of SBOMS and upon approval of the scientific council for specific specializations and cases.

Acceptance of residents in the residency program:

SBOMS seeks to secure residency program admissions by assessing the needs to bridge the deficit in the number of specialized doctors in cooperation with several supporting organizations and various donors. There are two types of residents admitted:

Acceptance of new Resident physicians:

All new residents are accepted through an admission competition organized by SBOMS according to the following criteria:

  1. Graduation rate in general medicine.
  2. Former experience or work in the same Specialization.
  3. Number of years of work in liberated areas.
  4. Passing the interview exam for admission to the Specialization.

Then they are distributed to the health facilities according to the training plans that are done and approved by the relevant scientific councils.

Any medical organization or health facility can accept new Resident doctors for Specialization to work within the facility. This is done through admission competition held by SBOMS after communicating with the SBOMS to complete this process.

Important Notice:

Notice 1:

There is a bridge between the third and fourth years of residency and this is for all specialties, therefore, the resident will not pass from the third to the fourth year unless he has passed the first exam.

Notice 2:

No new resident physician will be recognized in the residency program unless he is accepted through the coopetition held by the SBOMS, and therefore he will not be granted any document from the board and will not be nominated to take the exams or obtain the certificate even if he/she finishes the entire prescribed residency years.

Notice 3:

Any doctor who won a seat after the acceptance competition and signed a contract with the Syrian Board for Medical Specialization, then withdrew from the residency program, is prohibited from applying for the competition for a period of two years.

Acceptance of old (long period) Resident physicians:

Any health facility recognized as a training center can apply to accept former (over a long period) Resident doctors to continue the specialty to work within the facility. In this case, the Resident is employed within the facility by the employment policy followed within the facility or organization. Still, the resident doctor should adhere to the attendance policy and the training program of the SBOMS after obtaining the approval of the relevant scientific council, conducting an interview with him\her, and determining the residency year. The Resident is added to the SBOMS body’s entries.

Note:

1. Preference is given old residents who work voluntarily for a chance of employment at the facility where he/she worked. 2. If the organization or entity wishes to hire an old resident through a special acceptance competition held by SBOMS, the SBOMS will carry out this task. 3. In the event of non-compliance on the part of the resident doctor with the policy and training program for SBOMS, he/she shall be considered a service provider doctor and not registered with SBOMS.

Special conditions to accept drop-out old residents:

Residents who have dropped from training are fully entitled to continue their residency programs after submitting all the necessary documents proving the training earlier in accordance with the following conditions:

  • To complete the training in the centers accredited by the SBOMS.
  • Any interruption for more than two years, the resident doctor will follow the residency program from the point he/she stopped at, but after having a training for two months not calculated as part of the residence program.
  • A drop-out resident is entitled to his/her primary exam rates, if he/she has passed it successfully before he/she stopped.

If the identification documents of the resident doctor are not available, he/she is verified as being a former resident through an investigation committee formed by SBOMS then the responsible scientific council conducts an interview and makes a detailed examination that determines his/ her current training level, and academic year.

Financial compensation for Resident doctors according to their different years of residence

  • The Syrian Board for Medical Specialties is a scientific and academic body. It is not a provider of financial support in any way. Still, it cooperates with various supporting organizations and donors to secure equitable monetary compensation for Resident doctors and secure incentive financial rewards for specialist doctors supervising the training of residents.
  • Financial compensation is calculated according to the academic year of the resident doctor when providing support
  • SBOMS shall not be responsible for non-payment of financial compensations by donors during the residency period.

Important Notice 1:

 First-year residents of the sub-specialties (internal - surgical - children) who have a degree of Specialization are considered as fourth-year Resident doctors on the financial compensation scale.  Still, those who have completed two full years of general Specialization but have not received a certificate and successfully exceeded the initial exam will be considered at the third year of residency on the financial compensation scale.

Important Notice 2:

This financial compensation policy may be subject to change based on variables on the ground.

Important instructions regarding residency program:

  1. All the resident doctors registered in the Syrian Board for Medical Specialties and dropped out of training are asked to show their training status. They enroll in training in one of the accredited training hospitals within a month, and in case of not responding, the registration is stopped for an entire year. The doctor will be dismissed from SBOMS residency registration in case of non-compliance with the duties and officially declared on the SBOMS official.
  2. Resident doctors registered in the Syrian Board for Medical Specialties and have completed their training and have not sat for the final exam for more than two examination sessions are required to submit their examinations during one of the two examination sessions in 2021 dismissed from the residency program.
  3. Resident doctors who are not registered in the Syrian Board for Medical Specialties and who have completed their training are required to apply for registration in SBOMS and submit the final exam during the first or second sessions of 2021, or they will not be admitted to SBOMS residency program after that date.
  4. Doctors who graduate from the Syrian Board for Medical Specialties with Specialization will be requested to terminate their contracts. Organizations and entities where these doctors work will also be asked to terminate any contracts with those doctors to allow the opportunity to accept new residents instead of them.
  5. Resident physicians for Specialization not allowed to practice as specialists in the specialty throughout the training period, whether it was done within a public hospital or private health center, even under the permission of the donating hospital or organization, and if non-compliance of the resident doctor is proven, he /she will have a registered warning for one time. He / she will be dismissed from the residency program in case of non-compliance after the warning.
  6. All doctors wishing to join the residency program of SBOMS are required to have spent two full years in the areas of northwestern Syria to be entitled to start the residency and training program.
  7. The end of 2021 is a deadline for exceptional dealings with former residents, and all residents will be treated through uniformed policy at the beginning of 2022.