registered nurse

postdoctoral fellow

research coordinator

research assistant

senior research assistant

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Great training program, many people to bounce ideas off of, a lot of feedback on your coding, including internal and external auditing. Management is kind, they do monthly or so educational meetings, but be prepared to always have your camera on. They say they're flexible, but what they mean is that your SET schedule is flexible. They allow you to work whichever days you want, but are not up-to-date with the standard in the remote coding world and still require all variances to have prior approval. 

Speaking of remote coding, you will be required to spend 1.5 days in Houston, one for orientation, the second for meeting your managers and picking up hardware, which consists of a DESKTOP without wifi or bluetooth. You will be required to use an ethernet cord to connect to internet, and you will need to find corded headphones for your mandatory meetings, or call in on your phone when the option is seldomly available. 

The second, half-day of your orientation, your travel time is not included and you will be required to make up any non-productive time. In fact, all travel on-site, including coder appreciation days, you will be required to make up your travel time. If you are local to Houston and your power or internet go out, you will be required to haul your desktop on-site to complete your coding. Don't forget about making up your time. 

When/if you do put in your notice, you will not be able to return your equipment via UPS or Fedex, you will be required to travel back on-site to return them and sign paperwork. The bonus is that ironically they do pay you for this entire day.

MDA is very fair with their inpatient productivity expectation, it is about 1 chart per hour/6 charts per day. They prioritize accuracy and compliance over production. As an academic facility, the charts are extraordinarily repetitive with overuse of the copy/paste function by residents, sometimes 4-5 progress notes you are required to read start to finish by different residents, sometimes totaling around 42-60 progress notes alone depending on the length of stay. 

Overall, MDA is very bureaucratic in their policies, but management has done very well advocating for coders. When HR calls and asks what your pay requirement is, go high. They will lowball you and you will regret it due to the mandatory 8.25% contribution to the TRS fund. 

Best health insurance policies I've reviewed in over a decade of working in healthcare.

I was in the Safety Department for 18 years, I had never been given even a verbal reprimand and was given great reviews by my managers. But then my manager for years left our group. After that, If I brought up a safety violation, I became the instant focus of attacks and harassment from the groups that I was required to report on. Over the years the upper management (Assoc VP and Director) would insist on "working with the other departments" rather than hold them accountable. I was fired for something I did not do and was not given a warning, they wanted me out because I was reporting on other departments infractions of safety policies that were putting the lives of patients and employees in danger! I have proof and written statements from outside sources that those safety violations were taking place. M. D. Anderson Cancer Center "The Institution", is a State entity and therefore a lot of the Executives and Directors and mangers feel that they are above the laws and are immune to any type of punishment. They think that the "Institution" will protect them at all costs, even if they are "clearly" endangering the lives of the patients and employees! I was working on fixing safety issues that others had neglected to try to resolve that had been on lists for 6-8 years!! I found out that another department was shutting off life safety equipment when they were not supposed to and that they did not tell anyone else that they were so it. I reported this to my management and they didn't do anything to those individuals. I became the person that had to go, so that they could make me out to be a "disgruntled former employee" once I go to the regulatory agencies and the State Fire Marshal and report them. The Patient Care side of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is a different story, but the Facilities Management Division is known for running people off like this if they do not stay in their place and do what they are told, which in this instance, I could not because it was a severe safety issue that could cause people to lose their lives. Also these upper management individuals are known for making it seem like employees are being trouble makers or being difficult to work with if you do not let the violations go like they didn't happen. Then they will make up a reason to fire the employee. It happened numerous times in my group and in the division I was in. 

I go to work feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and burned out daily. During the pandemic, we were expected to work in person although our role can easily be done remotely. During that time, we were told by management that we should be in person and so I felt guilty about working remotely even when it was allowed. We now get one remote day a week. I felt uncared about by management during the pandemic - my life and my health didn't seem to matter to them. I unfortunately still feel very uncared for. 

We get asked for our feedback constantly but nothing is done with it. When I have provided constructive feedback, I was told that it was better not to say anything. I felt punished for speaking up. It feels like a toxic environment and I am consistently told by my supervisor that I won't find any place better and there is no other hospital system like MDA. That used to be true but it no longer is. One of the big draws that made me want to start here was the fact that social workers were encouraged to do counseling rather than the classic case management model that most hospitals use. However, we are starting to do case management this month so things are changing. 

Talking to patients with cancer is hard enough without feeling like management is trying to manipulate and gaslight you into feeling better about the stressful work environment. I go to work and cry in my office alone and I don't feel supported by my supervisor. I do have supportive coworkers but they have shared that they are also burned out - it is hard to want to burden them with my feelings when they also are going through a lot. 

The compensation scale is fine and market adjustments have been made. 

The lack of willingness of management to discuss relevant issues like burnout and diversity have also increased my frustration. When I spoke up about wanting to increase diversity in the department, I was told to stay silent by my supervisor because management doesn't like hearing that. This was also mentioned in my evaluation.

I have hated working here. I have felt burned out and questioned my worth. I have felt manipulated and questioned my sanity at times. I have felt hopeless and I am starting to realize that no job is worth taxing my mental health this much. I am looking for other jobs as I type and would leave already if I could.

Employees in Admissions are compensated around $14-16/hr.
The job is quite easy, but it takes much effort to stand out among coworkers. I believe that the direct supervisors and manager have cultivated an atmosphere for pursuing excellence (excellent positive feedback). The job entails a lot of phone calls and interviews to make sure the patient has satisfied all requirements for patient admission. It's one of the few admission departments that don't involve working with insurance. Again, it's a really simple job that probably has about 6-7 hours of work and 1-2 hours of free time throughout the shift. Shifts include 7am-3:30pm, 10:30am-7pm, 2:30-11pm, and 10:30am-7am. Coworkers are fine, actually they're very friendly and will help you out with anything. 
I had a great time in Admissions and I know you will too.
Now here's the part where I don't want to confuse you. Management is strict when it comes to attendance/tardy policy. They can and will fire you if you're not in compliance. They are also very, very scared to do anything outside previous history and will stick to the books/policy/business if you ask for favors. I strongly urge you to compare the flexibility of management in your current workplace if you have the rare opportunity in working in Admissions.
Overall, you will learn so much from Admissions to help you in your career in healthcare/hospital industry. 

When it comes to HR and job advancement, it's okay; nothing special. I know a lot of people in MDACC that have been looking/applying for several years, but with no results. Motivated Employee Beware! There are a lot of success stories though. One trend that I have seen is that people seem to be promoted if they apply only when he/she is completely sure that the next job is a perfect fit in accordance with qualifications and experience. Meaning, don't apply for all the jobs you can click on. 

Overall, MDACC is a lot better than other hospitals. St. Luke's Admissions and Patient Access jobs pay a lot more, but I don't really like the benefits (retirement, job security, insurance) compared to MD Anderson.

Lastly, you will be enamored with their cause. It is by far the most motivating job I have ever seen. You will tear up sometimes when you meet these patients. They are very strong, hopeful individuals and you will strive to serve them well.

I'll start off by saying MD Anderson is an amazing organization, with its reputation and mission to help people. At the end of the day I enjoy working here. Benefits are amazing, reasonable paid leave, tuition reimbursement (I'm a graduate student), and the people you work with are great. Now, the last part strongly depends on what department you're in, AND what site you work at. Some are so toxic , and in others people mind their business. Management in my department could be better with communication and transparency. The pay is subpar in my opinion, but then again it's based on the role, and my current one in comparison to other titles wouldn't exactly warrant a pay raise. That being said, my main quibble about MDA is the salary structure they have. Promotions  only merit a MAX salary increase of 15% whatever your current salary is, it does NOT matter what role you're in or department, it's institution-wide and applies to everyone. If you are offered a promotion with a position that has a minimum salary that is above the 15%, they just raise you to the minimum. They do not account for experience, education, achievements, recommendations, etc. HR has strict guidelines on this and believe me, I know this from personal experiences trying to get promoted. The same principles apply to roles in which on paper (meaning their job description requirements/ qualifications) you need to have X amount of years of experience, and/or Y amount years of education. That is their criteria for hiring you, and again it does not matter if you were recommended the job by your own manager, HR decides who passes the first round of screenings they're by the book. For example, if the job you want has a min. education to be high school diploma, and you have a bachelor's degree (which is more than the preferred degree- associates) they still won't hire you if you don't have X amount of  years of experience. That's just the way it is and unfortunately it means many people inside MDA tend to leave to work at other hospitals and come back years later to negotiate a higher position for a higher salary. The room for advancement is not discouraged, but rather not advantageous to someone who is trying to move up in their career and be compensated well in a competitive market, especially with inflation going up. 

The Patient Access Specialist position is generally a one stop shop for patients. You will register, verify insurance, work a live work list, financially clear the patient, obtain authorizations for everything the dr. orders and the list literally goes on. 

You have to be a jack of all trades to maintain this position honestly. The work life balance is insane, by the time you put your all into getting all the work done you are mentally and physically drained. If your children have after school activities this may be difficult. If you enjoy spending time with your family and being positive and having energy you may wanna think again.

One thing that can really help is the environment and positive atmosphere. Make sure you ask how the moral is during your interview. Make sure your supervisor has been in the game for a while and has actually had the chance to manage/supervise others for a great deal of time prior to obtaining their current position. The last thing you want is to be under high authority without much prior experience.

Breaks? Good luck on that.. you'll have to walk out on your own because you aren't given a break time or duration.

The hardest part of the job is establishing a great friendship with the patients only to see them slowly deteriorate and eventually pass..

Healthcare is really expensive for patents. After being diagnosed with a catastrophic disease. Its pretty horrible knowing they will have to dish out hundreds of thousands of dollars just to "treat" the disease for a year. 

Ironically the facility provides fast food restaurants which I wont say causes the disease but it surely does not help. Its a business.. instead of creating cures it creates customers.

I've worked in healthcare for almost a decade now, I've seen the ins & outs, ups and downs from the county to one of the world's most prestigious hospitals. Not once have I witnessed a doctor recommend a nutritionist or dietitian. I have a very strong belief that the cure to positive results is in the food we eat and vitamins we consume. I believe nutrition and health education should be the first step to curing disease as opposed to treating it.

A typical day would begin with coming in and logging in to the computer to pull up the schedule of procedures you would be performing that day. You then would make sure your room is prepared with every needed supply for every procedure you would be in charge of that day.

Since the physician is working so close with the interventional technologist we are able to learn more about the procedures we are doing in a greater depth. I've learned how to be more versatile being able to develop flexibility between fluoroscopy and ct scan and develop leadership skills!

Management was great with standing in the gap for the technologists as well as the physicians. There were standardized meetings every month and several points of collaborative communication to ensure a system is in place and that all ideas were on the table.

MD Anderson is a very diverse atmosphere between staff and the patients. There are many walks of life at MD Anderson where mostly everyone has cancer. So MD Anderson has a very tranquil and humbling atmosphere at the entire institution. 

There were very little hard parts of the job. There was, most of the time, something in place to train/educate you and update you. It is done in a very thorough way that you understood the entirety of the procedures. After training you would be now able to make suggestions not only from the stand point of being a technologist knowing the mere basics but being able to make suggestions to the physician from their standpoint aiding in a lot of times a safer smoother procedure. You learn to be ambidextrous. 

The most enjoyable points about the job were getting to celebrate your fellow colleagues on any accomplishments they have made. Acknowledgement of the service each individual brought to the team and rewarding it and emphasizing the gratitude for our service everyday was one of the most enjoyable parts about working at MD Anderson. Experiencing the benefits of structure and having the best to ensure a high level standard of care.

The best part about working in patient advocacy at MD Anderson Cancer Center was the fellow advocates. The team itself was incredibly strong—collaborative, intelligent, and deeply committed to supporting patients. The work is meaningful and well-suited for critical thinkers and strong problem-solvers.

The most challenging aspect of the role was leadership.

There appeared to be a disconnect between expectations placed on staff and those modeled by leadership. For example, a bachelor’s degree is required for all team members, yet leadership qualifications did not always reflect that same standard. Additionally, the Assistant Director was largely remote and minimally present, which made consistent support and accessibility difficult. When questions were raised, responses were often redirected rather than clearly addressed.

There were also concerns regarding management experience at the supervisory level. Communication with staff at times felt unprofessional and lacking in situational awareness. For example, when an employee experienced a flat tire while transporting their child to daycare, the response suggested taking multiple rideshares to still report to work, rather than prioritizing safety or flexibility. Situations like this were not isolated and became a frequent source of frustration among staff.

There was also a noticeable emphasis on internal relationships and provider satisfaction over patient-centered advocacy. Statements such as “MD Anderson signs your check, not the patients” reflected a culture where maintaining provider relationships and prioritizing requests tied to leadership connections often took precedence.

Turnover was also significant. During my time in the department, approximately 13 employees left within a single year, which speaks to broader concerns about sustainability and support within the team.

Overall, the role itself is meaningful and impactful, and the advocate team is exceptional. However, without consistent, supportive, and experienced leadership, the work environment can become difficult to sustain long-term.

I can’t speak for any other field aside from bedside nursing, because it’s what I have seen and it is what I know. 
Back in 2016, saying you were a nurse at this institution brought a smile to your face and a sense of deep respect. In the years since, the number of veteran staff has gone down dramatically and what was once a rarity of travel nurses is becoming a norm there. You can argue healthcare has changed a lot since COVID, but when they have to offer $90/hr in critical pay and there is still a staffing shortage, you have to wonder what is going on. The fault is in the upper divisions of nursing management. Running a tight budget and not valuing their staff has left an environment that is ripe for poor retention and high turnover. The new grads that do make it, don’t last long and look for new opportunities elsewhere.
Simply, the workload has increased steadily over the year. The required charting has gone up. The nurse to patient ratio has gone up. The scrutiny from direct management is up- from the smallest infarctions, you can be assured you will receive emails about it and how you need to do better. 
The only thing that hasn’t improved is staffing and compensation. I’ll be fair and say there was a nice raise this year but that was after how many nurses left? This was after how many disappointing years of meager 2% raises? 
The potential for the nursing culture at anderson is there. The issue is that upper management feels that they are untouchable and that they can always rely on the goodwill of their nurses regardless of how hard the conditions are. The issue also stems from the nursing staff not being able to speak up. The nurse meetings with upper management will always be a formality. Nurses will voice their concerns, but they can’t be too direct in fear of retaliation and loss of great benefits provided at this institution. And after promises of change, the nurses will feel better about voicing their frustrations and wait for the promised changes that will never come. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
This review is for "BANNER" MD Anderson (not the MD Anderson in Texas). The best part of the job is that you get to put "MD Anderson" on your resume.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Banner is the lowest paid hospital system; very old tools; leadership is not trained and is always changing due to low pay; many employees feel not respected by this institution at all.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Not very good at all. Employees know that the pay is the lowest in the industry. Nurses will get paid well but not better than at other companies. Non-nurses with advanced science degrees don't get paid as much as nurses even though they do the exact same job. Leadership has no training and it seems as though the rules are always changing as to who's allowed to become a supervisor. Leadership is not visible or transparent and is condescending towards the employees who actually take care of patients. There is a caste system between leadership and employees and between nurses and non-nurses. You will be told to travel to sites that aren't on your original contract and they don't pay for mileage or give a stipend for using your own car. There is no stipend for using your own phone. You must use your own PTO for federal holidays. Together, this makes for a culture of people who feel disrespected and like they don't matter. If pay was equitable and if they valued their good employees enough to pay them so they'd stay, the culture would be better. Instead, leadership EXPECTS people to leave after two years, hence they will continue to hire inexperienced people for the lowest salary who can't be expected to go the extra mile for their job or for patients when it doesn't seem like this company goes the extra mile for their employees at the very least.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Everyone communicates by email; the systems are very antiquated; tools to support the staff don't exist; very encumbered by bureaucracy.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 10 salaries reported	$90,000 per year
Postdoctoral fellow 19 salaries reported	$63,815 per year
Research coordinator 4 salaries reported	$51,005 per year
Research assistant 8 salaries reported	$45,325 per year
Senior research assistant 9 salaries reported	$52,744 per year

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