With just over two months until their current contract expires, the University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine are eager to resolve contract negotiations with the House Officers Association. House Officers are important members of our academic community and our medical endeavors, and we have tremendous appreciation for the roles they play.

Given the current climate of organized bargaining units at the University, the Michigan Medicine Labor Relations team compiled data-driven responses to some frequently asked questions. Many parties are seeking to understand how the negotiations going on at Michigan Medicine differ from those happening on campus, and what those affiliated with Michigan Medicine are seeking at the bargaining table.

How do House Officers end up at University of Michigan Medicine?

Each year, the University of Michigan Medicine receives tens of thousands of applications from individuals graduating from MD, DO, or DDS degree programs who are eager to join our ranks. On average, we accept just 450 of those individuals annually. They “match” with us based on our mutual desire to work together for the betterment of our communities and the enhancement of their medical training. Depending upon their interests, they stay with us anywhere from 3-9 years.

Our institution is renowned as an academic medical center and provides House Officers with access to  resources, a significant amount of specialization and sub-specialization training programs, experts to learn from, and patients to treat. A few years ago, we had 100 accredited programs for House Officers to choose from. We now have 113. In the past 6 years, we have increased our diversity efforts and now have at least 50% female House Officers and the highest percentage ever of non-Caucasian (33%), and non-Caucasian, non-Asian (13%) cohorts.

During their time with us, House Officers dedicate years of their careers to becoming experts in their chosen fields. For the last few cohorts, over 97% of House Officers pass their Board exams within 5 years of completing their training with us. Many of our House Officers stay close to Michigan upon completing their programs. In 2022, 35% of our House Officers moved into academic faculty positions post-completion, 19% stayed in Michigan for non-training positions, and 46% stayed in Michigan for any kind of position. This is reflective of trends over the past 7 years.

What is the House Officer compensation package like?

House Officers are licensed physicians who are in training, and they must successfully complete that training in order to be eligible to sit for their Board exams to become Board-certified in their area of specialty. The base compensation package of House Officers is reflective of their status as trainees. Our House Officer total cash compensation is competitive compared to other academic medical centers nationwide.

 It is our philosophy to maintain competitive pay and benefits for all employees.