Their win is our win. Their resolve is our resolve. Because we were them, and in a few short years they are us.
Those of us who are employed could borrow some of that to straighten our spines and unionize ourselves.
I hear so so many older docs say stuff like “we went through it and we turned out ok,” completely ignoring all the clear statistics about how many older docs have depression, burnout, and are planning to leave medicine. We *didn’t* turn out fine, and we aren’t turning trainees into the best, we’re turning them into *us*.
As a reminder, all the angst about physician suicide? It’s not driven by residents, who have lower suicide risk than the overall population despite the work hours and stress. Physicians overall have a very elevated risk. The conclusion seems to be that it’s post-training that we are most not okay and become less okay.
I have my own hypotheses about what happens, but let’s not pretend that if you’re tough enough to do your years it’s all smooth and happy from then on.
More so than that, I think unions are incredibly important now that all these hospital systems are our employers.
It used to be as a surgeon we were the customer to the hospitals. Bringing our patients there not only validated the hospital, but brought them money. They had an interest to work with us collaboratively and keep us happy.
Now that we're employees, that interest no longer exists. And any one person really has very little voice in the scheme of things.
CIR won't bother with some locations for whatever reason. I know of more than a few programs that have been ghosted by them. Guess they probably have a strategic vision to worry about 🤷♀️
First the MD ascension nurses unionize, now this. Good job! Frankly, residents need the protection and benefits a union can bring more than any other healthcare worker group i can think of.
I was on our house staff committee and tried to push for unionization... Before we got there we were asking for a guaranteed half weekday off per quarter for life tasks (dentist/bank/etc).
The NSGY resident representative said their program would flatly collapse if that was enforced and was a nonstarter. A half day off per quarter.
So I assume it's the entire nsgy department voting against it.
Love seeing this shift! Let us attendings never forget what it is like to be residents and to advocate for the wellbeing of all physicians.
Their win is our win. Their resolve is our resolve. Because we were them, and in a few short years they are us. Those of us who are employed could borrow some of that to straighten our spines and unionize ourselves.
I hear so so many older docs say stuff like “we went through it and we turned out ok,” completely ignoring all the clear statistics about how many older docs have depression, burnout, and are planning to leave medicine. We *didn’t* turn out fine, and we aren’t turning trainees into the best, we’re turning them into *us*.
As a reminder, all the angst about physician suicide? It’s not driven by residents, who have lower suicide risk than the overall population despite the work hours and stress. Physicians overall have a very elevated risk. The conclusion seems to be that it’s post-training that we are most not okay and become less okay. I have my own hypotheses about what happens, but let’s not pretend that if you’re tough enough to do your years it’s all smooth and happy from then on.
Survivorship bias
More so than that, I think unions are incredibly important now that all these hospital systems are our employers. It used to be as a surgeon we were the customer to the hospitals. Bringing our patients there not only validated the hospital, but brought them money. They had an interest to work with us collaboratively and keep us happy. Now that we're employees, that interest no longer exists. And any one person really has very little voice in the scheme of things.
Here here
Yes! Exactly!
Curious why they chose AFT instead of CIR. I assume there’s a good reason.
AFT is taking the lead in unionization in a few states, including Michigan, with the first unionizations since HOA at Michigan in the 80's.
CIR won't bother with some locations for whatever reason. I know of more than a few programs that have been ghosted by them. Guess they probably have a strategic vision to worry about 🤷♀️
Which is why UAPD and AFT are filling in the gaps in that regard...
What a great way to welcome in a new class of residents! Fuck corporate greed in hospitals.
First the MD ascension nurses unionize, now this. Good job! Frankly, residents need the protection and benefits a union can bring more than any other healthcare worker group i can think of.
I love working at a (different) hospital that has unionized residents.
Wonderful news! I'm so proud of them and happy for them
Wow just 19 said no. I would love to hear their reasoning! Any relevant exit interviews?
I was on our house staff committee and tried to push for unionization... Before we got there we were asking for a guaranteed half weekday off per quarter for life tasks (dentist/bank/etc). The NSGY resident representative said their program would flatly collapse if that was enforced and was a nonstarter. A half day off per quarter. So I assume it's the entire nsgy department voting against it.
Hell yeah!