Opinion: I’m a medical resident. I want to pause the drive to unionize hospital trainees
Medicine is a calling. But far too often, trainees — residents and fellows — at hospitals don’t receive the support necessary to deliver the best clinical care. Overworked, underpaid, and under-appreciated in an era of skyrocketing paperwork requirements and historic inflation, trainees sometimes struggle to make ends meet, care for themselves and loved ones, and even find joy in the day-to-day grind of learning to be an independent physician.
In response, many trainees are calling for unions, including at Mass General Brigham, where I’m currently a third-year orthopedic surgery resident. But while many consider unionizing to be a “yes” or “no” proposition, at this moment, I suggest a third option: a pause.
