The Journal of surgical research
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The extensive changeover in residents that occurs every July in university-affiliated hospitals has been postulated to result in impaired delivery of patient care as new house staff are less experienced and unfamiliar with hospital-specific systems (the "July phenomenon"). To assess the impact of this process on patient safety, we examined the incidence and sources of medical error and adverse outcomes on a pediatric general surgery service during the final month of an academic year and the first month of the subsequent academic year. ⋯ Resident changeover at the completion of an academic year did not result in an increased number of medical errors or adverse outcomes, indicating that effective systems are in place to prevent the "July phenomenon."