They are being joined by another five graduates from this year’s graduating class. “Out of the 67 attendings in our department, 24 are former graduates. “As for the allegations of ‘toxic culture’ at Lincoln - many of our graduates chose to stay on as attendings, serve the local community, and train new residents,” the Lincoln leaders added. In their column, Dimitrov and Shabarek wrote: “No resident has ever been threatened to have their visa canceled or withdrawn. I’d feel sick, like actually physically sick, to go to work.” “It’s a terrible, terrible, terrible place, which is why I felt horrible going to work. “It’s so malignant and toxic,” the graduate said. after a misunderstanding about scheduled time off. One graduate, who spoke with THE CITY on the condition of anonymity, said a top supervisor threatened to dismiss her - which would immediately end her ability to work in the U.S. ‘I Felt Horrible’Įx-residents at Lincoln said they often chose not to report conflicts, or confront higher-ups because they feared losing their work permits.

The 11-hospital NYC Health + Hospitals system currently hosts about 2,000 residents, 325 of them at Lincoln. None of the current or former employees THE CITY spoke with were willing to have their names published, out of concern for professional consequences. Treating COVID patients only added to existing stresses - which are especially intense for the international residents on work authorization visas signed for by hospital administrators, current and former employees said. THE CITY is withholding the deceased residents’ names at families’ requests.Īll three came from overseas to complete their medical training at Lincoln and were residents at the public hospital’s Department of Internal Medicine, where some current and former employees describe a culture of bullying, harassment and dysfunction. Another perished in a drowning in Hawaii that witnesses said was accidental. Though no less horrific, the third death was investigated and declared an accident by the police department.”Īt least one of the doctors-in-training died by suicide, family members confirmed to THE CITY. Nehad Shabarek wrote: “We lost two residents to suicide.

Vihren Dimitrov and director of internal medicine Dr.

On Wednesday, the website Medscape removed a version of that column after posting a response from two Lincoln Hospital officials that disputed some of the piece’s claims. The deaths came to public attention after an advocate for better working conditions for doctors and medical residents wrote a online column headlined: “Why Three MDs From One Hospital Died by Suicide Within 8 Months: Can We Stop This?”

Some residents at the city-run Lincoln Hospital in The Bronx are in revolt over an allegedly “toxic culture” following the deaths of three medical trainees between August 2020 and April of this year.

Doctors in training are dying