Hello!
This is Phil Huang, PGY3 (Class of 2023). I am a categorical internal medicine resident in the primary care track. I grew up in Seattle, WA, and went to undergrad at the University of Washington (go Huskies!) before attending medical school at the University of Iowa (Go Hawkeyes!). I chose The Ohio State University for residency for the supportive environment, quality of clinical experience, and opportunities to explore career opportunities. I am also excited to say I will be staying on as faculty at OSU as a hospitalist, splitting my time between the main hospital and East (community 190-bed hospital). Education and career aside though, the benefits of employment with OSU and the quality of life in Columbus are nice!
As a large university aiming to be competitive, OSU offers a comprehensive benefits package. In addition to excellent health, dental and vision insurance, OSU also offers both health and dependent care flexible spending accounts. These allow for tax-free spending on healthcare or dependent care expenses (e.g., childcare, camps, babysitting). There’s also an employee wellness program (Virgin Pulse) where you can earn up to $500/year for a health reimbursement account (HRA) that can be used on healthcare expenses. Life and long-term disability insurance is also offered, the latter of which actually includes 2 years of own occupation disability insurance!
As for retirement, OSU is somewhat unique as a government institution in that we are excused from paying social security tax. Instead, you choose between the state pension plan (STRS) or a self-managed 401a (similar to 401k plan). 14% of your salary automatically goes towards the retirement plan of your choosing. With the 401a, you receive an added 11% contribution from OSU (i.e., match)! In addition, you may put additional funds towards retirement through optional 403 and 457 plans, doubling the typical amount most other employees can put towards retirement (i.e., $45,000 with both 403 and 457 vs $22,500 with only 401k option).
Other benefits to being a Buckeye include free access to university resources such as the library system, plenty of recreational space, and a recreational center system (only $40/mo!). OSU has also started offering a lifestyle spending account, which offers $125/quarter you can use towards various hobbies (e.g., sports equipment, athletic wear/shoes, arts crafts, cultural events/museums). For those with student loans, our HR department is very helpful in completing PSLF forms and OSU also has an advising program if desired.
More specifically, the Internal Medicine Residency covers parking ($120/mo), provides a meal stipend ($55/mo) in addition to weekday lunches, and $2,500 in conference reimbursement a year. In-house moonlighting is also available starting the end of the second year, which makes a significant impact on many a residents’ salary (+20-30%). There is also $400 available after intern year to spend on educational expenses (e.g., books, society membership, question banks, licensing and board registration fees). The MKSAP is covered. As for dedicated time, there is also an available research track that can provide up to 3 months of dedicated research time. Finally, we have restarted our global health rotations! Residents have recently gone to countries in Asia and Africa.
As for Columbus, it’s a great place to live! There is easy access to many cultural activities (art, theater, concerts), world class sports (OSU Football!, NHL Blue Jackets, MLS Crew) and other opportunities by virtue of its central location (within 7 hours’ drive to Chicago, Nashville, Charlotte, D.C., and Philadelphia) and large airport (non-stop flights to Miami, Cancun, Denver, Los Angeles, and Seattle!). In addition, there is limited traffic (+5 to 10 minutes max), easy parking, affordable housing, and safe neighborhoods. My monthly rent for a luxury apartment with a fitness center and outdoor pool/grill/patio goes for $1600 for a 1 bedroom, $2000 for a 2 bedroom and is within a 5 minutes’ drive of the main campus. Options further away are proportionally more affordable. For those interested in settling down, quality homes can also be bought for $250,000 to $500,000 with local banks offering physician loans with great rates and low down payment options.
All in all, it’s been great completing residency at OSU! These many benefits have made life quite comfortable and allowed me to really get the most of the free time I have without breaking the bank. Look forward to seeing you here!
Phil Huang