California Physician Common Words
M
Malpractice
Injury or loss caused by improper treatment. Physicians must pay for malpractice insurance in case they are taken to court by a patient and have to pay damages.
Match program
A Match program is the system used by candidates for medical residencies and the residency programs that want to recruit them. Applications and interviews lead programs and candidates to rank each other by preference. Then, a Match is made that creates a residency agreement between them.
R
Residency
A Graduate Medical Education program. At least 1 year of residency is required before a medical school graduate can apply for a license in California.
S
Scramble
When a candidate participates in the Match but does not receive a placement, he or she can join the Scramble, a very intense and short period where candidates compete for remaining residency positions.