“I want to go off call”

Robert H. Blotter, MD

Does your group have a plan for anticipated or unanticipated changes in its work profile? What would you do if a partner requested a temporary leave to pursue a master’s degree in business administration? How would you respond when a member announces one day, “I want to go off call”? Most groups must face such transitions at some point, but deciding what to do on a case-by-case basis at the time of each request can be emotionally damaging, build resentment, and set confusing precedents.