GENERAL SURGERY RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Resident Benefits & Compensation

Surgery residency involves a great deal of physically, mentally, and spiritually taxing work performed over extended hours, and this work is paid at a rate that is much lower than the market rate for a worker with a doctoral degree. Furthermore, surgery residents typically have a large burden of student loan debt. Of course, after residency, surgeons have a higher income than most physicians or other people with equivalent degrees and work experience. In the final estimation surgery is a labor of love: if you do not love your professional work and your patients then no amount of money will be worth what it takes to be a surgeon.

SJGH offers surgery residents a livable income, excellent health insurance and other benefits, and financial support for educational opportunities and resources. Our residency is also unionized, which we are deeply proud of.

Benefits:

• Educational funds: $800 as a PGY1, $1000 for PGY2-4, and $1500 as a PGY5
  
• Multiple educational resources, including Sabiston’s textbook provided to every junior (PGY1-3) resident and Cameron’s to every senior (PGY4 & 5) resident
  
• A Microsoft Surface Pro is provided to each resident for EMR remote access off campus and mobile access within the hospital
  
• Several health, vision, and dental insurance plans are provided as employees of San Joaquin County, all at very low cost to the resident, including a pre-tax flexible spending account
  
• Test-taking assistance, including access to an educational psychologist based at UC Davis for those with test-taking difficulties, paid for by the surgery GME fund
  
• Comprehensive malpractice insurance with tail coverage at all facilities
  
• Meal cards worth $320/month for every month of residency ($3,840/year)
  
• Personalized white coat and black fleece/shell
  
• Of course, all applicable federal and state benefits, for example those stemming from the Family Medical Leave Act and the California Family Rights Act

Vacation Time and CME:

• All residents have three weeks paid vacation per year
  
• PGY1-4 residents receive 5 days of approved continuing medical education (CME) time. This is time spent attending conferences, workshops, courses, etc.
• PGY5 residents receive 6 days of approved CME time

Annual Salaries (2024-25):

• PGY1: $58,741.28
• PGY2: $66,373.06
• PGY3: $74,928.70
• PGY4: $82,662.32
• PGY5: $90,246.52