Working for a residents union?

[dxu425]

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Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right forum, but figured I'd give it a shot. I'm a non-trad who's applying this upcoming cycle. I've been out of school for two years, working at a consumer advocacy and education nonprofit, where I've learned a lot and really developed my understanding of why I want to be a doctor. I'm now looking to move on and gain a different perspective. I'm wondering whether med school adcoms and interviewers would look negatively on a job with a residents union. I know this depends very much on how I write and talk about my experience, but there's definitely a stigma attached to labor unions in the US. Also my premed advisor has told me to be wary of the job because older academic physicians who may be my interviewers may also be happy exerting their power over their interns and residents and think working 120 hours/week is good (and I can certainly argue for and against this perspective). I think the job would be really interesting and challenging, but I also don't want to hurt my chances of getting into med school for a short-term gain. Any advice?

Thanks everyone!

 

[applemac123]

You got nothin better to do than join a union? How about some clinical experiences w/ patients?

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Please make a jimmy Hoffa joke somewhere in your application.

 

[NickNaylor]

You got nothin better to do than join a union? How about some clinical experiences w/ patients?

Yeah, exactly. Unless joining a union was some kind of magical experience for you, I'd be a bit concerned that that would be included at all in your app. It just seems totally irrelevant.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717

 

[dxu425]

I think people have been missing the fact that I'm talking about working for a *residents* union. As in, improving working conditions for doctors in hospitals to ensure better quality care for patients.

 

[mimelim]

I think people have been missing the fact that I'm talking about working for a *residents* union. As in, improving working conditions for doctors in hospitals to ensure better quality care for patients.

Ya, no. The 80 hour work week hurts training. We don't have enough time as it is to learn everything that we need to. The conditions are fine. Go do something else with your time.

 

[Perrotfish]

I think people have been missing the fact that I'm talking about working for a *residents* union. As in, improving working conditions for doctors in hospitals to ensure better quality care for patients.

I don't see a lot of utility in residents unions. They're well intentioned, but the power of unions is based on their ability to mobilize themselves to collective action in response to collective greviences. Residents have neither the will nor the legal ability to strike, and residency training programs have the unique legal ability to collude in a way that would be illegal under anti-trust laws in any other industry, so theres really not a lot for unions to actually do. Resident 'unions' are generally reduced to politely asking for changes. A housestaff council is perfectly capable of doing that without anyone paying dues to a residents union.

Ya, no. The 80 hour work week hurts training. We don't have enough time as it is to learn everything that we need to. The conditions are fine. Go do something else with your time.

Which isn't to say I agree with this. Outside of the military residents are used a physician extenders for 80 hours a week, are paid less than half of what we pay physician extenders who work 40 hours a week, and that money comes not from the hospital but from the government (who also pays the hosptial 70K in tuition on top of your salary). How is this not nonsense?