Protect Your Future Income. No Medical Exam Required.
Guardian's Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) disability insurance — available exclusively to medical residents and fellows during training.
Your window is limited. Act before training ends.
✓ No medical exams, labs, or health questions
✓ Guaranteed approval for eligible residents and fellows
✓ True Own-Occupation coverage — specific to your medical specialty
✓ Discounted training rates that stay with you after graduation
Available at 150+ teaching hospitals nationwide
Why GSI Matters for Physicians in Training
Traditional disability insurance requires full medical underwriting. For residents and fellows, that means health questions, exams, and the risk of modified offers, exclusions, or outright denial. Guardian’s GSI program eliminates that risk.
If you’re eligible, you’re approved — regardless of your current health history or pre-existing conditions.
What Makes Guardian GSI Different
Guaranteed Approval
No exams or health questionnaires. Eligible applicants are approved regardless of pre-existing conditions.
True Own-Occupation
If you can’t perform the duties of your specific specialty, you’re considered totally disabled — even if you can work in another field
Portable & Scalable
Keep your policy and your training-rate premium after graduation. Increase coverage as your income grows — no new underwriting.
Guardian: A Name Physicians Trust
Guardian has been protecting policyholders for over 160 years. Their financial strength ratings reflect a commitment to being there when it matters most.
A++ (A.M. Best) AA+ (S&P) Aa2 (Moody’s) 160+ Years
Time-Sensitive: GSI Eligibility Ends at Graduation
Important Notice
GSI is only available while you are in residency or fellowship. Eligibility expires within 90 days of graduation. Once you complete training, you will need to apply for individual coverage through full medical underwriting — which can result in higher premiums, exclusions, or denial based on your health history.
If you apply for medically underwritten coverage first and receive a modified or declined offer, you may permanently lose access to Guardian GSI.
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Guardian's Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) program is a disability insurance policy available exclusively to medical residents and fellows at participating hospitals. It provides guaranteed approval with no medical exams, lab work, or health questionnaires — meaning eligible residents are approved regardless of pre-existing conditions. Coverage is True Own-Occupation, protecting your income if you become unable to practice your specific medical specialty.
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You are eligible if you are actively enrolled in a residency or fellowship at a participating hospital program, you apply during training or within 90 days of graduation, and you have not previously been declined for individual disability insurance. Guardian's GSI program is available at more than 150 teaching hospitals nationwide.
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There are three compelling reasons to act during training: First, GSI provides guaranteed approval with no medical underwriting — a window that closes at graduation. Second, premiums are based on your age at the time of application, so applying early locks in lower rates for the life of the policy. Third, if your health changes before you apply, it cannot affect your GSI eligibility — but it could affect your ability to get coverage later. Applying for other disability policies before GSI can also permanently eliminate your GSI eligibility.
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MedicalGSI.com is operated by Andrew Altenbach, CFP® CExP™ RICP®, a financial representative of Guardian through The Bulfinch Group in Needham, MA. Andrew specializes in disability insurance planning for physicians and medical residents, and facilitates access to Guardian's GSI program at participating residency programs.
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No. Your hospital's group long-term disability (LTD) plan and Guardian GSI are fundamentally different products. Group LTD is tied to your employer and ends when you leave — GSI is a personal, portable policy you keep for your entire career. Group LTD typically pays benefits only if you can't work in "any occupation" — GSI covers your specific medical specialty. And unlike GSI, group LTD typically cannot be customized or increased over time.