Boston hospital stops OR intruder posing as surgical resident

Editor's Note

A middle-aged woman pretending to be a surgical resident was able to gain access to 5 ORs over 2 days at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital without an identification badge before she was stopped, the February 5 Boston Globe reports.

For several days the woman walked the halls of the hospital dressed in scrubs, asking questions at a lecture, attending patient rounds, and observing surgical procedures. She even helped transport a patient to the PACU.

After being turned away from the Brigham, she showed up at the Massachusetts General Hospital for grand rounds, and from there she went to Children’s Hospital.

During its investigation, the Brigham found the woman had been dismissed from the surgical residency program at Mount Sinai St Luke’s Hospital in New York City.

For several days, she roamed the halls of Brigham and Women's Hospital, dressed in scrubs, asking questions at a lecture, attending patient rounds, and observing operations - even helping transport a patient to the recovery unit. The middle-aged woman said she was a doctor in training, but she was not.