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Purpose: Unprofessional behavior, which can include failure to engage, dishonest and/or disrespectful behavior, and poor self-awareness, can be demonstrated by medical trainees and practicing physicians. In the authors' experience, these types of behaviors are associated with exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Given this overlap, the authors studied the percentage of ACEs among trainees and physicians referred for fitness-for-duty evaluations and patterns between the types of ACEs experienced and the reason for referral., Method: A final sample of 123 cases of U.S. trainees and physicians who had been referred to a Midwestern center for assessment and/or remediation of professionalism issues from 2013 to 2018 was created. Included professionalism lapses fell within 3 categories: boundary violation, disruptive behavior, or potential substance use disorder concerns. All participants completed a psychosocial developmental interview, which includes questions about ACE exposure. Overall rate of reported ACEs and types of ACEs reported were explored., Results: Eighty-six (70%) participants reported at least 1 ACE, while 27 (22%) reported 4 or more. Compared with national data, these results show significantly higher occurrence rates of 1 or more ACEs and a lower occurrence rate of 0 ACEs. ACEs that predicted reasons for referral were physical or sexual abuse, feeling unwanted or unloved, witnessing abuse of their mother or stepmother, or caretaker substance use., Conclusions: In this sample, ACE exposure was associated with professionalism issues. Remediating individuals with professionalism issues and exposure to ACEs can be complicated by heightened responses to stressful stimuli, difficulties with collaboration and trust, and decreased self-efficacy. Adoption of a trauma-informed medical education approach may help those that have been impacted by trauma rebuild a sense of control and empowerment. The findings of this study may be useful predictors in identifying those at risk of problematic behavior and recidivism before a sentinel event., (Copyright © 2021 by the Association of American Medical Colleges.)

Purpose: Physicians-in-training often perform bedside thoracenteses in academic medical centers, and complications are more common among less experienced clinicians. Simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) is one potential solution to this problem. This study evaluated the effects of a randomized trial of thoracentesis SBML on patient complications: iatrogenic pneumothorax (IP), hemothorax, and reexpansion pulmonary edema (REPE)., Method: The authors randomized internal medicine residents to undergo thoracentesis SBML at a tertiary care academic center from December 2012 to May 2016. They subsequently compared thoracentesis complications from procedures performed by SBML-trained residents, traditionally trained residents (no simulation training), and those referred to pulmonary medicine or interventional radiology (IR)., Results: During the study period, 917 thoracenteses were performed on 709 patients. IP occurred in 60 (6.5%) procedures, of which 7 (11.6%) were clinically meaningful. SBML-trained residents performed procedures with a trend toward lower combined clinically meaningful complications (IP, hemothorax, REPE) compared with traditionally trained residents (7.9% vs. 0%; P = .06). SBML-trained residents caused fewer clinically meaningful IPs compared with traditionally trained residents, pulmonary, and IR referrals (P = .02). Hemothorax occurred after 4 (0.4%) thoracenteses, and SBML-trained residents had a trend toward lower hemothorax (0) compared with other groups (P = .07). REPE occurred after 3 (0.3%) procedures, with no differences between groups. SBML-trained residents performed procedures with lower combined clinically meaningful complications compared with other groups (P = .008)., Conclusions: Residents randomized to an SBML intervention performed thoracenteses with low rates of clinically meaningful complications. Rigorous education represents a successful quality improvement strategy.