Introduction
Diligent resident doctors in the U.S. train to be exactly who you can count on when ill or in an emergency. Through their unwavering drive and dedication, they’re able to diagnose and perform medical procedures on some of the most sickly people.
It’s known that the average worker may put in 40 hours a week however, these doctors are known to put in 60 to 80 hours a week and sometimes even more. With so many hours taken up, sleep deprivation has its highest effects. Which puts residents at risk for harm when they drive, mood swings, cognitive decline, etc. This can put many people in harm’s way, not just the residents and patients.
Not only that but they help save lives, but for their hours, their mediocre pay doesn’t reflect the magnitude of their circumstances. While fighting for patients' lives, a substantial number of residents are barely able to survive themselves due to the many different living cost struggles. Though they are not fully fledged doctors, they do a lot of the work that goes into becoming one. Which makes how they work and their pay important to everyone (Put in a quote?)
Problem
Residents are the backbone of hospitals, regularly working over 80 hour weeks and sometimes over 24 hour days. This is done while taking care of patients with a cold to critically ill patients. They put in an exceeding amount of time into their hospital and patients to become the best doctor they could be. Though this results in exhaustion and a poor mental status for this nation's medical residents.
“While the average American works roughly 35 hours weekly, medical residents can work up to 80 hours a week. For some residents, working more than 20 hours in a single shift is common. While this means fewer days working, it can lead affect sleep patterns and lead to exhaustion.” - The Daily Check Up (.org)
While working in these conditions residents aren’t duly compensated for their long hours, difficult work, skills needed, and as well as the cost of living, especially in certain areas. There’s a saying that time is money, and it’s been widely recognized that being a doctor is one of the most challenging jobs. So, with that combination it’s difficult to see that residents aren’t getting paid enough for the endeavors of their job. Which leads to the issue of living conditions. In more densely populated areas or of a higher tax bracket the expenses are greatly increased. With no way to have a part time job or any other sort of income it puts a strain on many of our residents.
People Affected
Without a doubt, this is concerning not just for the residents but for their friends and family. Though for some, not having time for your loved ones is unburdening. For many others, they observe it as a disadvantageous predicament. The main people affected by this issue besides the residents themselves and their family members are patients. Given the significant fatigue of residents there’s a higher chance of mistakes that can affect many people. With patients being some of our country’s most distressed population, their care is left to people in a less than optimal state which is not fair to them.
You can’t always control the diseases you get or the bones you break, however what can potentially be controlled is the care we receive by having more invigorated doctors. Nonetheless, there’s only one way to ensure there's no significant potential oversight to patient care, by finding a solution for this predicament.
“Burnout is a work-related stress syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, which can negatively affect individuals across various professions, including health care workers, impacting their performance and quality of life.” - Journal Of Patient Safety
Solutions
There are solutions that could help with these issues of being overburdened and insufficiently paid. The main and a popular solution is by going through unionization. This would enhance working conditions, lead to better work life balance, and improve compensation as well as benefits. Which overall gives residents better sleep and is a benefit to their family as well as patients. Resident unionization has been implemented in many hospitals. Due to the exploitation of their work and time more and more residents are looking forward to a future union.
Though a more unlikely option, another solution would be for hospitals and the federal government to work together in providing accurate compensation and/or preferable hours. If possible, an opportunity where the hospital receives an adequate amount of the hours they need covered while the residents receive an appreciable increase to their salaries and more hours for rest, would be favorable. The hospital and residents still get the hours they both need to work and learn, just with more reflective wages and less fatigue.
Furthermore, while not a complete solution, something that would help is hospitals ensuring sufficient staffing levels which would aid in implementing flexible work schedules for not just residents but other medical professionals in the hospitals.
Why It Matters
This is important because the well-being of our country’s future doctors is an issue everyone should be concerned about. There’s burnouts, errors in patient care, negative impacts to mental health and high levels of stress that deeply affect the medical field in our country. Not to mention the nationwide physician shortage makes it harder for healthcare to be affordable and eventually, to even come by. Moreover, the mental and subjective well-being of the people who take care of us in general, is of great importance. Especially since they are a vital part of ensuring the prosperity of our country.
Outro
Medical residents are underpaid and over worked, which many in their current situation and many workers in our country can resonate with. It’s necessary to spread awareness about this not only for them but for their loved ones, needing patients, and overall, to change and improve a part of our nation’s healthcare system.
