Disclaimer: Every jeopardy situation is unique and it can often be very difficult to apply strict rules to each one. CROC will do their best to ensure jeopardy is as equitable as possible!

  • Jeopardy is called in order (1st, 2nd, then 3rd).
  • In most situations, the jeopardy queue “resets” once all residents have met or exceeded 2.0 shifts.
    • “Two shifts” = 2 days of inpatient service or DF, 2 nights of NF, 4 half-days of clinic, 2 ED shifts, or one 28 hr call.
    • Example: You are jeopardized to cover the gens C senior on Monday, and you then cover your colleague’s PCG clinic on Tuesday and another colleague’s clinic on Wednesday. You now move to the back of the jeopardy queue.
    • However, because we need to prioritize continuity of care, if you are jeopardized to a particular service that does have continuity of care (e.g. gens team C senior, but not gens admitting dayfloat), then that will be prioritized and you will likely be asked to cover for the duration of that resident’s jeopardy needs without you being placed at the back of the jeopardy queue once you have met or exceeded 2.0 shifts.
      • Example: You are J2, J1 is already being used, and J3 has not been used. You have covered the HONC B senior for two days, but they are requiring jeopardy again for the next two days. You will likely be called in to cover those next two days on HONC B because of continuity of care even though you have already fulfilled your 2.0 shifts and would otherwise go to the back of the queue.
  • If you have not yet fulfilled 2.0 shifts and are still up next for jeopardy, you will usually still be called in regardless of the nature of the jeopardy need that comes up next. First priority is typically whether you are still next in line, not necessarily how much total time you have been jeopardized compared to the other jeopardy residents.
    • Example: You are J1 at the beginning of the block and have been called in for three clinic half days. If the next person to require jeopardy is scheduled for a 28 hr call, you will still be called in even though this puts you past 2.0 shifts.
    • Exceptions to this may be if there is large discrepancy in how much each person in the jeopardy pool has been utilized that block, but this will be decided on a case by case basis.
      • Example: You are J1 and were called in to cover six days for the gens A senior. J2 was then called in for one MICU 28 hr call, and J3 was then called in to cover two days for the cards D senior. Even though technically at that point J1 is up next in the jeopardy queue, the chief may discuss with the jeopardy residents about potentially having J2 be next in line since J1 by that point has covered much more time than J2 or J3.
  • There are select times when CROC knows that jeopardy will be needed in advance (e.g. for a funeral in a few days). Usually CROC will still wait until the day before to inform the residents who will be jeopardized for that need because it is impossible to know what needs arise in between that time, but sometimes CROC may discuss with the jeopardy residents to decide ahead of time who will be covering that need.

Using Jeopardy:

  • Jeopardy is appropriate for absences due to illness, family emergencies, and other unforeseeable circumstances.
  • If an absence is needed for a planned event (including but not limited to conferences, interviews, weddings), it is expected that the resident find coverage in advance. The chiefs can assist with this.
    • If the resident is unable to find coverage after exhausting all options, and the resident must attend the planned event, jeopardy can be used, but it will be expected that the resident pay back the shift coverage to the resident who is jeopardized.

Other Reminders:

  • Please keep your pager with you at ALL times during your jeopardy block.
  • If paged, you are expected to respond within 15 minutes and be in the hospital within 1 hour.
  • Please note your obligations begin at 7am on the first day of your block and last until 7am the first day of the next block.
  • Schedule switches:
    • The preference is still for full block switches.
    • Residents should first attempt to identify a full block switch before looking into partial coverage.
    • Partial block coverage must be provided by the same covering resident.
    • The covering resident cannot have any other duties during that time (including clinic, MROCs, or extra service pay shifts).
    • Residents are responsible for finding their own jeopardy coverage but should run proposed coverage plans by the chiefs.
    • Interview coverage falls in separate category and must be run by chiefs.
  • You are not eligible for MROCs or nightfloats during jeopardy.
  • You may not participate in extra service pay shifts while on jeopardy.
  • Do not schedule Step 3, ACLS recertification, etc. during jeopardy.