Dr. O’Sullivan is a resident and splits his time between Buffalo General, Oishei Children’s Hospital and ECMC. He works overnights and sometimes around the clock.
“I remember specifically one time I finished 24 hours in the trauma ICU at ECMC and I got the call ‘hey you gotta turn around because there’s been a mass shooting.’ Providers show up. We show up and unfortunately, the administrators have not shown up for us,” he explains.
Dr. O’Sullivan says residents are not treated fairly, they face burnout and some are making less than minimum wage.
“The reason why we put the billboards up is we want to be heard,” explains Doctor Stuart Bussey, President of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists.
Dr. Bussey says they are currently negotiating a new contract with University Resident Medical Services on behalf of residents who often work 80 to 100 hours a week.
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Both doctors say the system has been flawed for too long and needs to change.