This article looks at the so-called “July Effect” when patient deaths are rumored to spike at hospitals.

In the medical profession it is known as the “July Effect:” a midsummer phenomenon during which patient deaths at hospitals are said to spike. The most common explanation for the July Effect is that July is when many medical school graduates take up their residencies at teaching hospitals throughout the country, which in turn leads to an increase in hospital errors and a deterioration in patient care. In recent years, a number of studies have been conducted to verify whether the phenomenon is an urban legend or based in fact. So far, those studies have suggested evidence for and against the notion that the July Effect may be rooted in reality.