"First and foremost, I'd ensure that the issue was investigated thoroughly, any impacted people were talked with and policies were consulted for a next plan of action. As the program director, I would take ultimate responsibility for the situation and would never take the initial steps lightly. If required by institutional policy, I would also ensure that HR was consulted with as well and any necessary documentation was submitted. My next move would be to act quickly to meet with the resident in question, because these things shouldn't linger long after any performance issues are noticed. I'm a firm believer that being forthright in situations like this is important and would let them know what the infraction was and what the disciplinary action would be. From there, my mindset would immediately move to helping the resident improve on the situation moving forward and instill my confidence in them. Being one once, I know that confidence is huge for medical residents and I'd try to help boost that in a disciplinary situation."
