Being a physician is a strange thing. One of my patients compared it to a religious order. The strangeness revolves around being paid for our work. While this is the subject of debate on the national level, I would like to look at it from a different perspective--the resident. The Internal medicine resident is paid a salary, low compared to our years of schooling, for our time and training. An interesting phenomenon arises, which is payment does not change based on work. What does this mean? Some weeks I push the limits of legal and work 80 hours, with many of those hours consecutive (up to 30) and overnight. And I receive my weekly check. Other weeks, I am in clinics from 9-5 for 4 and half days a week, never on the weekend. And I receive my weekly check. Effectively, residency has separated the natural relationship between work and income. I am paid the same no matter how much, or little I work. My friends ask questions that seem silly to me, such as "Do you get paid more for overnights, or weekends, or overtime?" No I tell them, I barely get paid at all.
Work & Money
Work & Money
Work & Money
Being a physician is a strange thing. One of my patients compared it to a religious order. The strangeness revolves around being paid for our work. While this is the subject of debate on the national level, I would like to look at it from a different perspective--the resident. The Internal medicine resident is paid a salary, low compared to our years of schooling, for our time and training. An interesting phenomenon arises, which is payment does not change based on work. What does this mean? Some weeks I push the limits of legal and work 80 hours, with many of those hours consecutive (up to 30) and overnight. And I receive my weekly check. Other weeks, I am in clinics from 9-5 for 4 and half days a week, never on the weekend. And I receive my weekly check. Effectively, residency has separated the natural relationship between work and income. I am paid the same no matter how much, or little I work. My friends ask questions that seem silly to me, such as "Do you get paid more for overnights, or weekends, or overtime?" No I tell them, I barely get paid at all.