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aguafiestas t1_j8zpze1 wrote

Reply to comment by k0mm13 in Penn Medicine residents and fellows want a union, citing grueling workloads and 80-hour workweeks by nankles

Eh, I don't think the match is the issue. I think it would be worse for residents on a more open market system.

The issue is they've got you over the barrel. You've got hundreds of thousands of debt on one end and need residency to get to the actual income on the other. And there are more people who want those spots than positions to fill.

You can't counter that imbalance with a one-on-one negotiation. You need a union - and even then.

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k0mm13 t1_j91g3g6 wrote

Agreed - that was my point but you summarized it well!

I wanted to let others know that residents can’t just “pick up” and find another job like any other employee. There is a huge power imbalance between hospitals and the trainee doctors who work there. There are also essentially no market forces to dictate better conditions since medical students do not directly choose their residency program.

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