UCSF Medical Reviews

Pros

Working for the Medical Center vs. the Medical School has more security.
The benfits are great considering what others have to deal with and UCSF continues to offer an actual pension in addition to a retirement program.

Cons

Being a Union employee it is next to impossible to advance and/or get a merit based salary increase, and that is due to the Union not the Medical Center.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep your ear tuned to what all employees say and need, not just the special interest groups. A lot of people are left out because they don't fit into an "alternative" nitch.

Pros

great academic environment
amazing, dedicated medical staff
good pay
conveniently located public transportation
meet a lot of people in various professions

Cons

a ridiculously huge bureacracy
managers receive no training in how to be a manager. People are promoted simply because of seniority not Skills

Advice to Senior Management

Value your employees more. Listen to their ideas/suggestions/frustrations. Acknowledge them for a job well done because they're working their butts off every day.

Pros

Great health insurance and pension
8 hours work - can leave on time
15 vacation a year
off on veteran's day
one a floating holiday (Ceasar Chavez Day)
free shuttle bus
no over time

Cons

Poor/ old management style
super -mirco management
Politics
Can't voice about your opinions
Managers take revenge
They don't like staff taking sick leave; they may threaten to fire you or call to your home to distrub you
They only treat patients well; but not the staff
MDs are superiors
No respect from MDs
Very minimal promotion opportunities
No pay raise for 3 years
Many Spys
Many job openings are not real --- they already have candidate in mind...
They always blame people whenever things go wrong.
People who've been there for a long time --- have attitude; they don't do their work.
The lower level do all the work; but the mid level management take the praise and the top management get the money...

Advice to Senior Management

A good leadership knows how understands what personnel and personal developments are. Don't kick away the faithul/good staff.

Pros

benefits were the best thing about the place.

Cons

too many departments and divisions. not enough continuity or streamlined processes.

Advice to Senior Management

try and streamline processes

Pros

Excellent benefits, good pay, more stability than UC campuses (payroll comes from patient fees, not state budget)

Cons

Senior leadership tends to celebrate how great they are while ignoring many of the 'little people'. When a manager or director is known to be problematic, whether due to personality or lack of ability, that manager/director is often left in their position to continue with business as usual. I know of people who suffered under bad managers for years with no help from senior leadership, even though they were clearly aware of the issue(s). Many managers who get into trouble don't get fired, they get reassigned. Meanwhile, some employees who are known to be ineffective and unproductive get raise after raise because their best skill is hobnobbing with senior leadership. Lots of politics and baby-kissing. Annual incentive pay (bonuses) are unfair, as directors get 10+% of their salary, while regular employees get no more than 5% of their salary. When you take the person's salary into consideration, it means most directors get 15-20k bonuses while regular employees get no more than 4k max.

Advice to Senior Management

Pay more attention to the lower rank and file. Implement an annual review for managers/directors that includes direct employee interviews and critiques -- managers/directors critique their direct reports every year, why can't the direct reports critique their bosses? it's only fair. Institute a flat percentage for all employee bonuses (give directors 5% max like regular staff, they'll still rake in thousands).

Pros

great benefits; exceptional co-workers; great team

Cons

everyone needs a job right now and we don't have enough open positions

Advice to Senior Management

I have no advice right now

Pros

Important work; challenging; it makes a difference

Cons

It's hard work but worth it.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep having office hours.

Pros

Flexibility of scheduling, generous personal time off when needed, plenty of opportunities to learn skills that you want to develop.

Cons

Pay (expected for all university jobs), promotions nearly nonexistent for non-phds. Level of autonomy mostly dependent on which PI you work for, so it's hard generalize this.

Advice to Senior Management

I would have liked to receive subsidies for classes taken that related to the job. Allow access to libraries and facilities.

Pros

Good pay, excellent benefits. Management goes out of its way to recognize contributions of rank and file staff, and the vast majority of the physicians don't fit the academic medical center stereotype (i.e., they don't have egos as big as the Grand Canyon and they generally treat staff with respect). Management is actually willing to publicly acknowledge its mistakes instead of hiding them from the staff.

Cons

Due to space constraints, working conditions can feel rather cramped and facilities are spread out across the city. The IT systems are mostly outdated (not cutting edge like some of Kaiser's systems), although in a few years they will be modernized.

Advice to Senior Management

I have no major complaints about management, they aren't arrogant like the leadership I've encountered at other large health care institutions.

Pros

Location: In the heart of the city; plenty of public transportation; reasonably safe surroundings; lots of places to eat.
Interesting: This place is a city within the city. It is very interesting to see how it all works together.
People: Many different nationalities makes for rich societal environment.
Feeling of pride: We're UCSF - we're one of the best!

Cons

Sharing: Sharing of communication, knowledge and resources does not appear to be a priority.
Decision Making: It takes someone very high up to coordinate a decision - even a relatively small one.
Parking: What parking?

Advice to Senior Management

Audit, audit, audit. Some numbers are not what they seem.