ISDR - ISDR UPMC Employee Review

3.0
May 21, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you don't already understand how a corporation works you will have a chance to develop multiple perspectives. There are many great people at UPMC, you will have a chance to meet and network with some genuine folks who have been around a long time. If you want to be at UPMC for a very long time, this is a great way to embed yourself with the managers and start the political maneuvering that's required for a long career with a large corporation. If you're a fan of the Microsoft Stack UPMC is basically converting to a MS shop. There were never any standards. At one point I just stopped doing work and walked around Oakland for a couple weeks. No one asked any questions. No one wondered about projects. I went 100% Office Space and it was awesome. You'll never have to study or re-learn. Tired of staying relevant in your field? This is perfect for you. Modern tools are shunned. Best practices abhorred and open software is a dirty word. Never again will you have to worry about what the smart people in your field have contributed - because you'll never learn or use it here. Meeting the people is the best part of UPMC.

Cons

Run like this is the plague. After two years the only experience you have is with UPMC and you will not work on your college discipline during this time. To date, this experience has been the most difficult to explain and quantify to employers. E.g. "This is great to UPMC but it does not bring anything to the table for us" Pay is very low. This is marketed as a retention and advancement program. It retains you because you won't be able to find a job for at least two years post-program. This is anathema to your career if you want to work anywhere but UPMC in the first five years after graduating. Doing IT in healthcare makes you a permanent second class citizen. You will repeatedly have to sacrifice standard and form to accommodate for the business needs of other systems. Which sounds reasonable, until you find out you won't be working with a REST API because when the healthcare system was made SOAP was all the rage. Or how you'll have to drop everything to do Meaningful Use or some HIPAA program because last person had 48 months and did nothing for 47 of them. Don't even get me started on the number of silo'd engineers who can't transition work because UPMC has no code review or standards. This will not develop your career. Oh right, also the CIO has an insurance background. He's a nice guy but your division's top leader probably asks his grand kids to turn on his phone for him. It's not an ageism thing, it's willful ignorance - and most management follows this pattern.

Explore other reviews about UPMC

5.0
Jun 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Career growth and development. Benefits and compensation.

Cons

Distance to travel and parking issues

2.0
May 14, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

..its a job helps pay the bills but want to pivot out to something new I'm very lucky until that happens my Team is awesome to work with!

Cons

Hire Educators!! Healthcare education and systems are failing its employees since covid we need to pivot and get back to helping constantly educate. We have Covid taught Nurses and Doctors not meaning badly but there is a disconnect -not understanding what is common in your scope of practice and not "knowing" how to do something or waiting for someone else to take care is lazy and if you are too afraid to ask for help you please don't be in the medical field. Ohh stop giving so many "chances" to people that should be fired a long time ago and not keep them bc "we need staff"-it hurts everyone with that one person!

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