Why a Residents' Union?
Members of the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) reflect on how important it is to have a voice at their hospital.
"I joined CIR because I understand the importance of residents having a voice, and believe that CIR is the best avenue for us to express this voice. It is truly a union started by residents, run by residents, for residents."
Dr. Amy Garcia
Division of Pediatrics at UNM Medical Center, Albuquerque, NM
"Participating in CIR is the best thing I ever did in my residency. CIR makes us a force to be reckoned with. There are Family Medicine programs closing throughout the country. What do we have that they don’t? We have CIR. When I joined this residency, it was as stable as anything. I didn’t think I’d have to fight, but these fights are going to become more commonplace at clinics, hospitals and specialty programs."
Dr. Kennedy Ganti
Division of Family Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson, Princeton, NJ
"As individuals, and especially as residents with our erratic schedules and heavy workload, having an organization to stand up for us and represent our interests is important."
Dr. Chris Palmeiro
Division of Internal Medicine at St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center, New York, NY
"Who's looking out for our interests of our patients -- the union. We work so hard, we don't have the time as individuals to fix problems as they come up. But as an organization, together we can achieve our goals. We pool our resources which allows us to hire union staff and attorneys to look out for us."
Dr. Leticia Tornes
Division of Neurology at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL
"CIR is the place where residents come together to identify problems in our hospitals and find solutions. Many residents will complain to each other about a problem, but do nothing about it because it's more convenient to move on or because they don't know how to reach and move decision makers to effect positive change. However, at CIR we recognize that we're integral to the solution. Gandhi said 'Be the change you want to see in the world,' and that's the attitude we have. We empower ourselves by having the union, and we get results.
Dr. Rajani Bhat, Former CIR Secretary-Treasurer
Fellow in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
"In Los Angeles, we at CIR have been critical in affecting resident work hours, work environment, workplace safety, reimbursement, and the quality of care delivered to our patients. CIR staff and delegates meet monthly with hospital management to resolve any issues that arise. We also attend the monthly meeting of the General Medical Education Committee, where the residency program directors formally review and improve each program. In this way, we have a voice in the decision-making process involving both residents and patients alike."
Dr. Richard Newell
Department of Emergency Medicine at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA