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Boston Medical Center resident physicians rally for higher wages
The residents say their pay doesn't meet the needs of young doctors in a city with high rent, which drives doctors from marginalized communities away from a hospital that serves people of similar backgrounds.
Unionized resident doctors at Boston Medical Center rallied outside the hospital Thursday in hopes of pressuring hospital leadership to agree to a contract that will provide them with higher wages and better benefits.
Their union, the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIRSEIU), said in a press release that residents’ demands include living wages that are competitive with other local hospitals, a parking fund, and fair compensation for extra shifts.
“It really is becoming more and more difficult to prioritize our own well-being as we care for our patients – the majority of whom are working class people of color facing complex health issues,” Dr. Denisse Rojas said in the release. “Particularly for physicians who are first-generation college grads and who lack familial safety nets ourselves, BMC residents are really just scraping by.”
About 200 resident physicians attended the rally Thursday, The Boston Globe reported. The union represents about 750 residents who work at the city’s main safety net hospital, a classification that means it receives money from the state to provide care to uninsured patients and tends to serve marginalized communities.
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“We are actively in conversation with the Committee of Interns and Residents and look forward to, once again, negotiating a mutually agreeable contract,” Boston Medical Center reportedly said in a statement to the Globe.
Why Boston Medical Center’s resident physicians want better wages
Boston Medical Center’s residents say the hospital’s current compensation plan doesn’t meet the needs of young doctors in a city with high rent and parking costs. This leads them to seek employment at hospitals with wealthier patient populations and better pay and benefits.
“The hospital must ensure that [our] patient population gets seen by rested doctors, and that we can continue to attract physicians who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, which we know is essential for great care,” Rojas said in the release.
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Boston Medical Center’s first year residents earn $66,750 a year, CIRSEIU reportedly told the Globe. Comparatively, they’d earn $78,540 at Mass General Brigham, $76,680 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and $71,682 at Tufts Medical Center.
Dr. Paolo Mauricio, a second year emergency medicine resident, told the Globe he drives for Uber part-time in addition to working 60 hours a week at the hospital to support himself. On top of paying rent and sending money to his family in the Philippines, he said he’s also struggling to repay student loans.
Other residents at the rally said they are on food stamps, are taking out loans to pay rent, and are even selling their bone marrow, The Boston Herald reported.
Several residents told the Globe they spend around half their paycheck on rent each month.
Dr. Brett Lewis, a third year family medicine resident, told the newspaper she came to Boston Medical Center to treat underserved populations.
“We’re not against BMC,” Lewis said. “We want to help them achieve their goals of health equity.”
A look at the rally
At the rally, protesters chanted slogans such as “My neck, my back, we need a fair contract.” They held signs with messages like “health equity starts with health workers,” “diverse hospitals need diverse voices,” “BMC is for everyone, residency should be too,” and “saving lives but can’t live.”
Boston City Council President Ed Flynn attended the rally, writing on Twitter that “Our healthcare workers, esp medical interns, residents & fellows work extremely hard & long hours every day. They deserve a living wage & to be treated w/ dignity & respect.”
District 9 City Councilor Liz Breadon also attended the rally. “A fair wage for medical providers is essential to top notch healthcare in a diverse city that prides itself on its meds and eds,” she wrote.
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