The senior obstetrician requesting obstetric privileges

As the American physician workforce matures in age, senior physicians on the active clinical staff may become vulnerable to diminished professional performance. Many physicians compensate by using experiential rather than analytic methods to effectively solve clinical problems. Surgical expertise also may be at risk in these circumstances. Organized medical staffs must confront these realities before adverse events are reported as patient safety is their primary responsibility. The appropriate credentialing process will enable talented and experienced senior clinicians to continue to provide high quality medical care.