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Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017
| Contributor Information
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
How much are residents earning in 2017, and what are they spending it on? How much money do they owe? More than 1500 residents in more than 25 specialties told us how much they earn, as well as the hours they work and what their relationships with attendings, nurses, and PAs are like. All participants were enrolled in a US medical resident program.
Percentages within may not always add up to 100% due to rounding.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
This year was slightly better than 2016 for residents in terms of their salary. The average resident salary increased to $57,200 from $56,500 in 2016 and $55,400 in 2015.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
The highest-paying specialties for residents were hematology, nephrology, and allergy & immunology. Family medicine residents were at the low end of the pay scale.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Average salary in the sixth through eighth year of residency was $63,800, a nice bump from the amount they received in the first year of residency. As expected, salaries increased by years post-MD.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
There is a slight earnings gap between male and female residents' salaries. Men earned $57,400, while women reported a salary of $56,700.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Satisfaction with compensation is declining. In 2017, almost half of male residents (46%) and almost half of female residents (49%) said they feel that they are fairly compensated. In 2016, 52% of men and 55% of women felt this way. In 2015, 60% of men and 65% of women felt fairly compensated.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Residents' chief complaint (83%) is that compensation doesn't reflect the number of hours they work. Over two thirds (68%) of residents are unhappy that their compensation is not comparable to that of other medical staff, and 65% of residents are dissatisfied that their compensation doesn't reflect the required skill level.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Almost one third (31%) said that they would like to cash a paycheck that is 11%-25% bigger than their current one. One third (33%) of residents feel that their salary should be increased by 26%-50%, and 10% feel that they deserve a 76%-100% pay hike.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Most residents (88%) said they are receiving health insurance. Paid time off is the second most reported benefit (87%). Fewer employers are providing professional liability coverage this year. Only 62% of residents are receiving professional liability coverage, compared with 73% last year and 75% in 2015.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Thirty-eight percent of residents indicated that future earnings are extremely or very influential on their specialty choice, an increase from 32% in 2015. More men (44% vs 28% of women) said that future earnings are extremely or very influential.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Close to half (44%) of primary care residents said they plan to subspecialize, 44% said they will work in primary care, and 12% indicated that they will specialize but are still undecided about the specialty.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Medical school debt is not going away. Over one fifth (21%) of residents reported that they don't have any debt, but 18% of residents have debt that exceeds $300,000. Over one quarter (27%) reported that their debt is between $200,000 and $300,000.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
In the first and second year post-MD, 20% of residents' debt exceeds $300,000, 28% of residents owe $200,001-$300,000, and 19% of residents owe $100,001-$200,000.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Residents are having a lot of contact with patients. Over one third (38%) of residents are logging more than 60 hours per week seeing patients, while 21% are spending 51-60 hours per week. Slightly more than 1 in 10 are seeing patients 30 hours or less per week.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Residents spend much of their time at hospitals. Almost one half (48%) spend over 60 hours per week, 22% said they log 51-60 hours per week, and 13% are at the hospital 41-50 hours per week.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Being on call at night is not unusual for residents. Over half (52%) of residents spend 1-5 nights on call per month, while 28% of residents said they log 6-10 nights per month. One in 5 residents spend 11-15 nights on call per month.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Most residents appear satisfied with the amount of training they get. Training hours are sufficient to 79% of respondents. Almost one fifth (19%) noted that the hours are more than needed, and only 2% indicated that too few hours are provided.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Almost one half (46%) of residents are performing 1-10 hours of scut work on a weekly basis, and 81% of residents feel that this amount of unskilled work is appropriate. Over one fourth (28%) of residents are performing 11-20 hours of scut work per week, and 38% of residents feel that that is an appropriate amount of time.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Almost half (46%) of both men and women said that they devote 1-10 hours of their time per week performing unskilled work. Almost the same percentage of men (61%) and women (58%) responded that the amount of unskilled work is appropriate.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
The appropriate degree of supervision is being provided, according to 89% of residents. Only 6% of respondents indicated that they receive too much supervision, and 5% said there is not enough oversight.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
The majority of residents gave a thumbs-up to their learning experience. Over three quarters (78%) said they are very or somewhat satisfied with their learning experience, while 12% are neutral in their opinion. Only 9% noted that they are somewhat or very dissatisfied with their learning situation.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Most residents have no qualms about the way attending physicians treat them. A total of 81% of residents are very or somewhat satisfied with the way their attendings treat them. Only 5% are somewhat or very dissatisfied with attendings' actions, and 11% remain neutral.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
The residents who complained about attendings' behavior described what they disliked.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Relationships between residents and attendings are very good or good, according to 89% of respondents. Half of these residents specified that the relationship is very good, and 39% described the relationship as good. Almost 1 in 10 (9%) referred to the relationship as fair, and 1% noted that it is poor or very poor.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Almost half (48%) of residents said their relationship with nurses and PAs is good. Over one third (36%) mentioned that it is very good. The relationship is fair, said 14% of residents. Only 2% said it is poor or very poor.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Most residents noted that nurses were professional and knowledgeable, and that relationships with nurses were positive. A smaller group commented that some nurses were bullying residents and resented that residents sometimes seemed to get more respect than did the nursing staff.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Less than half (43%) of residents said they always or mostly have sufficient time to spend with patients; 41% said the time is sometimes sufficient, and 17% said the time is rarely or never sufficient.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Most residents expect to be frugal with their first salary post-residency. Over two thirds (67%) of residents said they won't splurge with their first paycheck, 19% said they will overspend, and 15% aren't sure what they will do.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Peering into the crystal ball, 21% of residents envision becoming a partner or practice owner. Twenty-nine percent of residents expect to be employed as a non-partner/practice owner. Almost one fifth (19%) said they may want to do both, and almost one third (32%) expressed uncertainty about their future career plans.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Being a partner or a practice owner appeals to 25% of male residents, while only 15% of women anticipate this career option. More women (34%) than men (25%) are eyeing being employed as a non-partner/practice owner. More men (22%) than women (13%) may want to do both.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Clinical knowledge and experience top the list of rewards that residents indicated they gain from their job, with 75% of residents in years 1-4 expressing this aspect and 77% of residents in their fifth through eighth years taking this stance. Gratitude of or relationships with patients was cited by 66% of residents in years 1-4 and 68% of residents in years 5-8.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
Most residents (71%) work in hospital settings even though working in military or underserved areas offers some relief from medical school debt.
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
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Residents Salary and Debt Report 2017
Sandra Levy | July 26, 2017 | Contributor Information
More than 19,200 physicians in over 27 specialties responded to this year's Medscape compensation survey and told about their compensation, productivity, challenges, and more.Medscape Features Slideshows, April 2017
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Comments on Medscape are moderated and should be professional in tone and on topic. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. Please see our Commenting Guide for further information. We reserve the right to remove posts at our sole discretion.
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