Experiences with unionization among general surgery resident physicians, faculty and staff

Published in the JAMA Network Open. Here is a link to the article.

Regenstrief Institute authors: Karl Y. Bilimoria, M.D.

This qualitative study found that unionization provided general surgery residents with a sense of voice and agency in their training environment. While unions were linked to benefits like salary and housing stipends, residents and faculty also reported unintended consequences, such as loss of department-specific perks and strained faculty-resident relationships. Active resident participation in union activities helped reduce conflict and better address surgical trainees’ needs.

Authors:

Darci C. Foote, MD, MS¹; Audrey E. Rosenblatt, PhD, CRNA, APRN^2,3; Daniela Amortegui, MA⁴; Carmen M. Diaz, MPP, PhD²; Brian C. Brajcich, MD, MS²; Cary Jo R. Schlick, MD, MS^2,4; Karl Y. Bilimoria, MD, MS⁴; Yue-Yung Hu, MD, MPH^2,5; Julie K. Johnson, MSPH, PhD^2,6

Affiliations:

¹Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

²Department of Surgery, Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

³Department of Anesthesia, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

⁴Department of Surgery, Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis

⁵Division of Pediatric Surgery, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

⁶Now with Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill