THE CONGRESS of the United States has failed to pass legislation that would accord physicians-intraining (by convention called residents, house officers, or house staff) a status comparable to that of other hospital personnel. Such a designation of residents as employees is controversial since it is contrary to a 1976 ruling by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which stated that residents are to be considered students for the purpose of the National Labor Relations Act.
During the proceedings of the 95th Congress, Representative Frank Thompson (Democrat, NJ) introduced and sponsored House Bill 2222, which would have amended the National Labor Relations Act to include residents. Because of a busy congressional schedule, House Bill 2222 did not receive final action. I believe it is extremely important to inform physicians about the importance of this legislative issue.
Today, more than 80% of the financial support for graduate medical education is derived from