Are residents Employee of the hospital with similar benefits

[m2k]

Hello,

Are residents have same benefits as regular employees of the hospital, e.g. maternity/paternity leave/pay.

If you choose to take maternity/paternity leave in addition to your annual vacation, is residency program is suppose to increase your residency duration.


Thanks,

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[gutonc]

Residents are employees and will have their own benefit structure, usually distinct from other employees. You are given whatever vacation/sick time your program provides you and you can use that for FMLA, subject to federal and state regulations. Every RRC has different rules on the amount of time you can miss from training before you have to prolong your training. That is not up to your individual program, GME office, or hospital.

I suspect you have an actual question you'd like the answer to here and it would be great if you could just ask it.

 

[GoSpursGo]

So, caveat that it’s not actually true that you’re an employee at EVERY program. For example at my current institution, housestaff are considered postdoctoral fellows, are paid a “stipend” (thus you have to pay quarterly taxes), and aren’t eligible for retirement benefits. You get whatever vacation GME and your program allow.

But as gutonc said, I think there’s something you’re not asking, so I’m not sure how helpful that was to you.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

You are often an employee, but regardless of that status you're also bound by ACGME rules. So, for example, at my program you can take 12 weeks of maternity/paternity leave because the hospital allows it but you can't take more than 6 weeks off continuously by ACGME rules so you'd have to stay on as a resident for an extra 6 weeks.

 

[AMEHigh]

Yeah benefits can and are often different.
At my program for example our health insurance was heavily subsidized by the program so we only paid something like $20 a month for a single person, which was definitely not what other employees paid.

We had a resident committe that helped to negotiate for our benefits.

 

[PTPoeny]

The leave question is determined by your board but some programs will also have stricter policies. For instance, ABP requires successful completion of 33/36 months so a resident in good standing can take 3 months off for leave but many programs do not allow this or are set up so the normal vacation takes up that time instead.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

So, caveat that it’s not actually true that you’re an employee at EVERY program. For example at my current institution, housestaff are considered postdoctoral fellows, are paid a “stipend” (thus you have to pay quarterly taxes), and aren’t eligible for retirement benefits. You get whatever vacation GME and your program allow.

But as gutonc said, I think there’s something you’re not asking, so I’m not sure how helpful that was to you.

Wow, that sucks.

Everywhere I interviewed back in the day had residents as employees and had at least equal benefits to everyone else (often better as @AMEHigh mentions).

 

[GoSpursGo]

Wow, that sucks.

Everywhere I interviewed back in the day had residents as employees and had at least equal benefits to everyone else (often better as @AMEHigh mentions).

It does indeed suck.

 

[gutonc]

It does indeed suck.

Does your program start with N?

 

[mvenus929]

It's going to depend on the program.

In my residency program, we were employees of the university, contracted out to the hospital, so did not receive the same benefits as the hospital employees (and were the red-headed stepchildren of the university, since we did our rotations in the children's hospital and everyone else did them in the community hospitals, and our hospital subsidized some of our benefits).

In my fellowship, we are employees of the hospital, so when the nurses get a bonus, so do we. We get the same retirement benefits. We get the same health insurance. The attendings are also employed by the hospital and get the same benefits as well.

Regarding maternity/paternity leave, there's a difference between what you can take and what you can take without extending your training. Several of my cofellows have taken time off for extended maternity/paternity leaves, but owe 1-2 months at the end of their fellowship in exchange. In residency, most people wanted to stay on cycle, so took the minimum they could while still graduating on time.

 

[deleted480308]

Hello,

Are residents have same benefits as regular employees of the hospital, e.g. maternity/paternity leave/pay.

If you choose to take maternity/paternity leave in addition to your annual vacation, is residency program is suppose to increase your residency duration.


Thanks,

Your program will have policies on leave, including maternity

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

There is likely to be a bit more flexibility in terms of being able to take extended periods of paternal leave (on top of vacation or sick days) without extending training based on the new ABMS rules that go into place 2021. So I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few program training manuals get revised this year. Basically ABMS is requiring all member boards to allow for a MINIMUM of 6 weeks of paternal leave (and doesn't specify a maximum) without extending training and is being quite a bit more strict in requiring boards to justify why a resident would need extension of training when taking time off for paternal leave.

Now this doesn't force the residency programs themselves to implement this but it does put a lot of pressure on them to do this since they can't really make a justification for residency extension since ABMS is saying you'll still be board eligible (this applies to all programs 2 years or longer).

ABMS Announces Progressive Leave Policy for Residents and Fellows

CHICAGO – July 13, 2020—The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the leading not-for-profit organization that oversees physician certification in the...

www.abms.org

 

[mvenus929]

There is likely to be a bit more flexibility in terms of being able to take extended periods of paternal leave (on top of vacation or sick days) without extending training based on the new ABMS rules that go into place 2021. So I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few program training manuals get revised this year. Basically ABMS is requiring all member boards to allow for a MINIMUM of 6 weeks of paternal leave (and doesn't specify a maximum) without extending training and is being quite a bit more strict in requiring boards to justify why a resident would need extension of training when taking time off for paternal leave.

Now this doesn't force the residency programs themselves to implement this but it does put a lot of pressure on them to do this since they can't really make a justification for residency extension since ABMS is saying you'll still be board eligible (this applies to all programs 2 years or longer).

ABMS Announces Progressive Leave Policy for Residents and Fellows

CHICAGO – July 13, 2020—The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the leading not-for-profit organization that oversees physician certification in the...

www.abms.org

Paternal or parental? I feel like there are more varied policies on paternity leave than maternity leave. That may very well be changing--I just filled out a survey a few months ago asking about my perceptions of parental leave policies in fellowship, so it's definitely gaining attention.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Paternal or parental? I feel like there are more varied policies on paternity leave than maternity leave. That may very well be changing--I just filled out a survey a few months ago asking about my perceptions of parental leave policies in fellowship, so it's definitely gaining attention.

looks like it’s parental (along with caregiver and/or medical) so pretty broad...which is what I meant to say but I realize now I said paternal lol

“Starting in July 2021, all ABMS Member Boards with training programs of two or more years duration will allow for a minimum of six weeks away once during training for purposes of parental, caregiver, and medical leave, without exhausting time allowed for vacation or sick leave and without requiring an extension in training.”

 

[gutonc]

And, pretty much as expected, the OP ghosts the thread.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Does your program start with N?

No... though I'm curious which one you thought it was.

 

[m2k]

And, pretty much as expected, the OP ghosts the thread.

Really, you know better than this. Why are you trolling? If you don't have anything to share in this subject, just stay quite. People with knowledge are contributing. That's the purpose of the question.

 

[m2k]

looks like it’s parental (along with caregiver and/or medical) so pretty broad...which is what I meant to say but I realize now I said paternal lol

“Starting in July 2021, all ABMS Member Boards with training programs of two or more years duration will allow for a minimum of six weeks away once during training for purposes of parental, caregiver, and medical leave, without exhausting time allowed for vacation or sick leave and without requiring an extension in training.”

Unfortunately this is for July 2021, what options do residents have without extending program length?

Has anyone seen this done by program directors and how often: Program directors can retroactively petition for a limited extension of this leave if they feel the resident has achieved necessary competencies despite the additional absence.

Medical residents need parental leave

It's time we get our own house in order, and there's no better place to start than the most vulnerable among us.

www.kevinmd.com

 

[gutonc]

Unfortunately this is for July 2021, what options do residents have without extending program length?

Has anyone seen this done by program directors and how often: Program directors can retroactively petition for a limited extension of this leave if they feel the resident has achieved necessary competencies despite the additional absence.

Medical residents need parental leave

It's time we get our own house in order, and there's no better place to start than the most vulnerable among us.

www.kevinmd.com

I will ask again...what is your actual question?

 

[m2k]

I will ask again...what is your actual question?

It was stated in my OP:
"If you choose to take maternity/paternity leave in addition to your annual vacation, is residency program is suppose to increase your residency duration?"

 

[deleted480308]

It was stated in my OP:
"If you choose to take maternity/paternity leave in addition to your annual vacation, is residency program is suppose to increase your residency duration?"

It totally depends on your program and how much time you are trying to take.

^that’s the entire answer

 

[hallowmann]

No... though I'm curious which one you thought it was.

Honestly, my program has a similar policy and it doesn't start with an N, so... my guess is its very institution and possibly region/state dependent.

 

[deleted480308]

Hello,

Are residents have same benefits as regular employees of the hospital, e.g. maternity/paternity leave/pay.

If you choose to take maternity/paternity leave in addition to your annual vacation, is residency program is suppose to increase your residency duration.


Thanks,

Why don’t you tell us the specialty and how much time you want to take?

 

[rokshana]

It was stated in my OP:
"If you choose to take maternity/paternity leave in addition to your annual vacation, is residency program is suppose to increase your residency duration?"

I think this has been answered...depending on the specialty, if you take more that 4 weeks/off per year, then your residency time has to be extended. There are circumstances where, if less than a total of 1 month is extra, GME and PD can decide to grant completion but it’s program dependent.

If you are looking to get pregnant and want more time...wait til next year and take advantage of the new rules, otherwise you will either have to take less time or extend your residency...no matter how many times you ask, the answer is not really going to change...or ask your GME/HR...they should be able to give you a specific answer for your program.

 

[GoSpursGo]

It was stated in my OP:
"If you choose to take maternity/paternity leave in addition to your annual vacation, is residency program is suppose to increase your residency duration?"

Keep in mind, some programs can give you a “research elective” for 4 weeks at the end of your leave to give you some moreno time at home while you do a chart review or something like that. Some will allow you to either borrow vacation from a future year (tough in intern year), or more likely, bank vacation from intern year and save it for 2nd or 3rd year. Though that isn’t guaranteed.

Ultimately this is just something you have to discuss with your program, and at the end end the day it isn’t the end of the world to extend your training by a few weeks/months.

 

[Raryn]

Unfortunately this is for July 2021, what options do residents have without extending program length?

Has anyone seen this done by program directors and how often: Program directors can retroactively petition for a limited extension of this leave if they feel the resident has achieved necessary competencies despite the additional absence.

Medical residents need parental leave

It's time we get our own house in order, and there's no better place to start than the most vulnerable among us.

www.kevinmd.com

The requirements to be board eligible are the requirements to be board eligible. You can assume that anything that requires your PD to special petition anyone to get exempt from them is quite unlikely to occur.

If your board (and this is specialty dependent) says you cannot take more than 4 or 6 weeks off without extending residency, well, you cannot take more than 4 or 6 weeks off without extending residency. They're all changing over time - ABOG now allows up to 12 weeks of leave in any given year if it's signed off by the program for example - but without knowing what specialty you're in, it's impossible to give a more specific answer.

If you're not doing a fellowship, adding a few weeks to the back end of your residency is pretty meaningless in the long run. Yeah, it's annoying, but a reasonable choice to make if you want/need a longer leave. The problem is if you are doing fellowship, it can screw up the whole timeline - and then there's tough choices that need to be made. Hopefully as leave requirements get less stringent over time, fewer people need to make them.