Doctors For Mass

Resident physicians are graduates of medical schools who have passed multiple licensing exams, are licensed in the state where they practice, and who take care of patients under the supervision of attending physicians. Resident physicians are not medical students, they are legal employees of the hospitals and health care organizations where they work. While resident physicians are supervised in their care of patients, they staff Massachusetts hospitals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included. Often, the only doctor “in the house” to take care of a patient is a resident physician, especially on nights and weekends.

Attending physicians are physicians who have completed residency and are independent in practice. They supervise and teach resident physicians in the care of patients when they work in teaching hospitals or in residency programs.

The NEJM Journal Watch defined administrative harm as “adverse healthcare outcomes resulting from administrative decisions that influence patient care, professional practice, or organizational efficiency.” These decisions are often made by administrators without physician or healthcare worker input, pulling resources from frontlines in favor of financial performance, executive compensation, or vanity projects.