How to request a grievance hearing after a residency dismissal: an outline with a document demand

Some appeal windows are five business days. Most residents spend the first two deciding whether to file.

A grievance or appeal request does not need to win the case. It needs to be on time, go to the right office, name the policy, and ask for the documents. Arguing comes later, once you have the record.

Tell us your deadline, so you are not filing alone: start a confidential intake.

Before you write

• Find the policy in effect on the date of the action, and its deadline. Commonly 10 to 30 days from the written notice, and sometimes as short as five business days.
• Find who the request must go to, and whether the policy requires a form.
• Confirm how many levels of appeal there are. Often one, or none.

See what the ACGME requires the policy to cover.

The outline

Fill in each bracketed field from your own documents.

To: [the office or official named in the policy]

Copy: [GME office]

Subject: Request for hearing under [policy name and number]

I request a hearing [or appeal] under [policy name and number] of the decision dated [date of the letter], which I received on [date received].

To prepare, I request copies of:

1. The recommendation and decision, and every document the decision relied on.
2. My complete educational file, including evaluations, milestones, and committee records, with the creation date of each evaluation.
3. Any remediation or probation documents, and the program's records of their completion.
4. The written findings of any outside body the decision relied on.
5. The version of each policy applied, as in effect on [date of the action].

I also request [an extension of the hearing date to allow time to review these documents] [the names of the panel members] [a decision-maker who was not involved in the original decision, as the policy permits].

Please confirm receipt of this request.

[Your name]

[Program and training year]

[Personal email and phone]

What to leave out

• A full argument of the merits.
• Any concession of the program's description of events.
• Any offer to resign. If you already sent one, withdraw it in writing.
• Threats about outside complaints or charges.

After you send it

Keep a copy and proof of the date sent. Calendar every date the policy sets. Ask in writing for your status during any silence. Then prepare for the hearing itself: see how a GME due process hearing works and no lawyers allowed at your appeal meeting.

This outline is general information. Generic drafts, from AI or anyone else, do not know your file. Check every claim against your documents, and have counsel review the request before it goes to the program.

If this is happening to you

Facing a deadline from your program? Tell us what you have received and when your deadline is. We will review your situation confidentially and point you to the right next step: start a confidential intake.

Resident Help is not a law firm, and submitting an intake does not create an attorney-client relationship. If your situation needs a lawyer, we will tell you and help you find one.