HR Information and Training Resources

The health benefit information below indicates elements specific to job role.

• 2024 Residents Benefits Guide (effective July 2023)
• 2024 MGH Clinical Fellows Benefits Guide (effective July 2023)
• 2024 BWH Clinical Fellows Benefits Guide (effective July 2023)
• 2023 Medical Plan Comparison Chart (residents and fellows)
• 2023 Medical Comparison Chart - Out of Area (residents and fellows)

Professional staff benefits consultant for residents and fellows based at BWH: 

• Email BWH Professional Staff Benefits Office or call 857-307-7077

Professional staff benefits consultants for residents and fellows based at MGH are (by last name):

• A-G: email Susan Frain or call 617-726-9264
• H-O: email Amy Vacchina or call 617-724-9357
• P-Z: email Paula E. Murphy or call 617-643-3711

Loan Repayment and Deferment

Loan Deferment: Residents and clinical fellows eligible to defer their student loans may send or drop off deferment forms to the Brigham and Women's Hospital GME office and Massachusetts General Hospital Registrar’s Office for institutional authorization. Eligibility to defer your loans is determined by your lender. You may obtain deferment forms directly from your lending institution.

• Brigham and Women's Graduate Medical Education: 617-732-8540
• Mass General Medical Staff Office: 617-726-2119 

Massachusetts State Loan Repayment Program: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health administers a loan repayment program for health care professionals who commit to working full time or part time for two years in a community health center (up to $25,000 per year for two years). This program is funded through a combination of state and federal funds.

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program: The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program provides loan repayment funding to primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health clinicians choosing to work in a NHSC-approved site located in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Award amounts are based on the HPSA score of the NHSC-approved site. To qualify, a provider must be a U.S. citizen with a valid unrestricted license or certificate to practice and must work full-time. For more information, please use the link below:

• National Health Service Corps
• Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) database

RTN Federal Credit Union: All Mass General Brigham interns, residents, and fellows are eligible to join this credit union which offers financial programs geared to trainees.

Association of American Medical College Financial Management FIRST (Financial Information, Resources, Services and Tools), helps expand the financial literacy of medical school borrowers helping them make smart decisions about student loans and managing debt.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) helps employees, residents, and fellows find financial planners to assist with short-term concerns or long-term planning.

Harvard University Employees Credit Union Resident & Fellow Loan Program: While GME salaries are designed to provide adequate resources for living and working in Boston, we understand additional and unexpected expenses can arise during your training period. In 2020, the GME office partnered with the Harvard University Employees Credit Union (HUECU) to create a customized loan program designed specifically for MGB Residents and Clinical Fellows. GME trainees can apply for up to $20,000 per year, for a total of $60,000 during their training, at highly competitive rates with repayment periods designed to minimize (or eliminate) repayment costs during training. In 2022, the GME office deepened its commitment to this program by providing guarantees on behalf of trainees whose credit history or debt burdens might otherwise have precluded participation. This program is accompanied by extensive financial literacy and advising resources, through the HUECU’s online and in-person offerings, including a page dedicated to the specific financial circumstances of GME trainees. We strongly encourage all participants to avail themselves of these resources in conjunction with the loan program, to optimize financial well-being. For those who join the credit union, free individual counseling is available with a financial advisor for the credit union participant, as well as household members.

Mass General Brigham, BWH, and MGH employees are eligible to join either The Club at Charles River Park (MGH and Mass General Brigham) or BodyScapes (BWH) at a special hospital subsidized rate. For added convenience, the rate is automatically deducted from employees' paychecks. Please note that ALL Mass General Brigham trainees, which includes residents regardless of your hospital affiliation, are eligible for the Club and Charles River Park.

• BodyScapes (for BWH trainees)
• The Club at Charles River Park (for all Mass General Brigham and MGH trainees)

Residents and Clinical Fellows who hold a Harvard Medical School (HMS) appointment are eligible for a variety of benefits, including access to the Harvard University shuttle transportation system.

To gain access to most Harvard facilities you must obtain a Harvard photo ID card. All trainees are eligible for a temporary ID card. Badges are processed at the Kresge Building (677 Huntington Ave., 1st floor, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 617-432-0389). You must have your photo taken beforehand. Please refer to the Harvard ID Badge Office website below for complete details, including locations to have your photo taken.

Other benefits available to residents and clinical fellows:

• Harvard ID Badge Office
• Harvard Medical Community Events Calendar
• HMS Countway Library of Medicine
• HMS Ombuds Office
• Harvard Shuttle Information 
• Harvard International Office
• HMS Orientation and Resource Guide

Lease guaranty 

The Mass General Brigham Lease Guaranty is a program for interns, residents, and clinical fellows. Mass General Brigham guarantees participating landlords that it will cover certain costs that the tenant (intern, resident, or clinical fellow) is obligated to pay. The guaranty does not relieve the tenant from any lease obligation. The tenant will reimburse Mass General Brigham for any payments made by Mass General Brigham to the landlord on the tenant's behalf. The Guaranty has been accepted by these properties listed in the Boston area. We are optimistic that the terms of this Guaranty will be acceptable to many other landlords as well.

Lease guaranty eligibility

• Residents and Clinical Fellows in the Graduate Medical Education Program (GME) programs sponsored by the Mass General Brigham hospitals - Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, North Shore Medical Center are eligible for this program.
• In order to be eligible, the Resident or Clinical Fellow must be salaried through Mass General Brigham (i.e., Mass General Brigham, the hospital, or a physician organization), although in some cases the Mass General Brigham salary may be reimbursed by another source (foundation, outside institution, etc.). In addition, the hospital appointment must be as a "Resident" (or a "Clinical Fellow" or "Clinical and Research Fellow").
• The Lease Guaranty document becomes null and void if a Resident or Clinical Fellow is no longer enrolled in the Graduate Medical Education Program.
• The term of the Lease Guaranty is for one year with annual renewal rights. The Lease Guaranty document needs to be re-executed every year that a Resident or Clinical/Research Fellow wishes to participate in the program. If the Lease Guaranty document is not renewed with Mass General Brigham and a Landlord annually, the guaranty no longer is valid.
• Specific questions regarding the program can be directed to leaseguaranty@partners.org

Lease guaranty step-by-step process

1. The Resident or Clinical Fellow (an Applicant) ensures s/he is eligible for the program.
2. The Resident or Clinical Fellow obtains information and required forms from their Program Director, the GME Website, the Professional Staff Benefits Office or the Landlord. Required Forms:
   • Your issued Program Offer Letter or Match Verification Form
   • A completed and signed Indemnity Authorization Form
   • A signed copy of Mass General Brigham Lease Guaranty Procedure accepting the terms and conditions of the program
   • A completed Lease Guaranty Program Form with the landlord’s signature, name, address, email, and telephone number. 
3. A Landlord ensures that the dates on the lease are within a year and the address matches on all the forms. A Landlord signs the Guaranty.
4. An applicant or a landlord submits all the required signed and dated documents (4 total) in one email to the leaseguaranty@partners.org inbox.
5. After all of the information identified above is provided and is verified by the Professional Staff Benefits Office, the submitted Guaranty will be signed and forwarded to the landlord via email. The valid Lease Guaranty documents are also available at the following address:

Professional Staff Benefits Office
55 Fruit Street
Bulfinch 126, Boston, MA 02114
leaseguaranty@partners.org
Tel. 617-643-3071

Terms and conditions

• The Guaranty is capped at $7,000. Higher levels may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
• Professional Staff Benefits cannot enter into negotiations with individual landlords. The Guaranty must be acceptable "as is" to the landlord. Residents are asked to notify the Professional Staff Benefits Office with objections they may encounter from landlords. These objections can then be considered when the program is re-assessed and possibly revised in the future.
• Mass General Brigham is making a guaranty to cover certain potential costs that the Tenant would otherwise be obligated to pay. The guaranty does not relieve the Tenant from any lease obligation. The Tenant will reimburse Mass General Brigham for any payments made by Mass General Brigham to the Landlord on the Tenant’s behalf. 
• Tenant/Landlord issues are to be resolved by the Resident or Clinical Fellow and the Landlord. Mass General Birhgam will not become involved in negotiations with the Tenant and the Landlord. In general, payments to a Landlord will be made on demand (without any evaluation as to the validity of the claim) since the guaranty serves in lieu of funds that would otherwise be held by the Landlord. Payments made by Mass General Brigham under the guaranty will be deducted from the Resident or Clinical Fellows paycheck.
• The term of the Lease Guaranty is for one year with annual renewal rights. The Lease Guaranty document needs to be re-executed every year that the Resident or Clinical Fellow wishes to participate in the program. If the Lease Guaranty document is not renewed with Mass General Brigham and the Landlord annually, the Guaranty no longer is valid.
• The Lease Guarantee document becomes null and void if a Resident or Clinical Fellow is no longer enrolled in the Graduate Medical Education Program.
• If dates and/or cost of rent were changed since the Lease Guaranty documents had been signed, a landlord must notify the Professional Staff Benefits Office via email leaseguaranty@partners.org. 

Documents

Once a lease is signed, these documents are required for the lease guaranty to be applied.

• Mass General Brigham Lease Guaranty Document is a sample document that lists required information. The valid guaranty document is available from Mass General Brigham Professional Staff Compensation and Benefits.
• The Mass General Brigham Lease Guaranty Procedure Form is required for all residents and clinical fellows applying for a Lease Guaranty. The form confirms that the resident or fellow understands the procedure and his or her responsibilities when participating in the program.
• The Indemnity Authorization Form is a required form for trainees to accept financial responsibility in the lease guaranty program.
• A list of landlords who currently participate in the Lease Guaranty Program.
• View a list of Lease Guaranty FAQs.

Brigham and Women's Hospital parking and MBTA pass information

Parking for residents and fellows is at the Mission Park Garage, 22 Vining Street, Boston, MA. The garage is one block away, directly across from the main entrance to the hospital. Employees are allowed to park in the parking facility ONLY while on duty. Rotating residents and fellows who have payroll-deducted parking at MGH automatically get reciprocal parking at BWH at no additional charge. Likewise, residents and fellows who pay for parking at BWH and rotate to MGH are allowed to park at MGH at no additional charge. You will need to complete the BWH Parking Form and email to bwhparking@partners.org to register for parking.

The rates below start with the 2022-2023 academic year:

Residents

• Payroll deducted parking: $140.00 per month
• Pay as you go debit parking: $9.00 per day
• $6.00 on weekends and holidays

Fellows:      

• Payroll deducted parking: $190.00 per month
• Pay as you go debit parking: $12.00 per day
• $6.00 on weekends and holidays

All Employees: Overnight parking is free if you enter after 6:00 pm and exit before 9:00 am.

MBTA: All BWH-paid employees can enroll in any MBTA pass program at a discount of 50% of cost through payroll deduction. 

Massachusetts General Hospital parking and MBTA pass information

This information and applications are for MGH residents and clinical fellows ONLY:

• Mass General Brigham Residents and MGH Fellows MBTA and Parking Policy
• Mass General Brigham Residents MBTA Sign-up Form 
• MGH Fellows MBTA Sign-up Form
• Parking, Debit, Registration and Fellow MBTA Sign-up Instructions

Mass Eye and Ear parking information

Main Campus

• All employees, residents, and clinical fellows residing in zip codes 02141, 02108, 02109, 02113, and 02114 who currently participate in the parking program will need to find an alternative parking solution independent of the Mass Eye and Ear parking program as of 10/1/19.
• Residents living outside of the 02141, 02108, 02109, 02113, and 02114 zip codes will qualify for on-site parking at a cost of $127.00/month. Residents and Clinical Fellows will be assigned to the Emerson or Vesta garage(s), depending on availability. Both of these garages are located on Blossom Street (adjacent to Mass Eye and Ear) and are a 5-minute walk from the Main Campus.
• Vehicle storage is prohibited.

Longwood

• If you receive a parking deduction and have a space at the main campus, you will have access to the Longwood parking garage.
• Please email Seamus Doyle, Manager of Public Safety, with any questions. 

Zipcar discount

• MGH employees are eligible for a Zipcar discount.
• BWH employees are eligible for a Zipcar discount. BWH employees get discounted rates on weekday driving and a lower annual fee: $35/year instead of $60/year. $10/hour is normally pro-rated but with Zipcar for business, its a flat rate for all vehicles except luxury vehicles.
• The 7-7 Zipcar for business rate is $61 and the 24-hour rate on weekdays is $71. Learn more about this discount.