Posted by Uzmma from IP 69.139.92.47 on February 28, 2006 at 22:21:17:
In Reply to: What can I do about it? Any legal options left here? posted by IMG on February 28, 2006 at 11:41:33:
Calm down. Think of it as an accident...like somebody broke his leg and could not join the residency, or some J1 refusal etc. Except that you dont have a broken leg and are going to TRY to make a come back in this match.
Have a mltidimensional approach.
1) If I were you I would go to the program in person and talk to the faculty members. Their program is gonna close, but they must be having contacts elsewhere. Just talk to them and see if they are willing to help. (Make sure its more than just empty words).
2) Be mentally prepared for the scramble.
3) Please understand that if you were good enough to get a prematch, you are good enough to be successful in the scramble or the next match (depending on what plans God has for you). So dont panic. I know its easier said than done, but dont panic. Residency or no residency, we all are gonna live a few more years n then die, sooner than we imagine. "All things are little, changeable, perishable" - Marcus Aurelius.
4) If you feel that they would not help you, sue them. There's a huge debate about the legal status of prematches, mostly by amatuers like myself but the fact is that you have a signed contract. You withdrew from the Match, therefore the match rules DO NOT apply to you. Please ask some lawyer. I have no doubt that the program can be held accountable, even if the contract says "You cant sue us, etc".
Even if prematches are not legal (which I dont believe is the case) you would benefit from the lawsuit.
5) If you live in NYC or some other big city, contact all the lawyers you can (desi lawyers are cheap, those who charge for the initial appointment ...talk to them on phone). Some lawyers would agree not to charge anything until they earn you a compensation.
6) You dont need compensation. You need a residency, right? Now after the program has heard from your lawyer, contact them again ... very politely. Contact not just the PD but also the hospital administration. Explain to them that if they help you, you would withdraw the case.
7) Ofcourse you have nothing to lose by contacting the programs you have interviewed with. tell them the whole story.
May God be with you. Best of luck.
U.z.m.a.