After reading all the crap regarding reimbursement cuts and now this DNP-Nurse-wanna be MD If things dont get fixed, will it probably be better to work at the VA? I know you make less than private practice but in private you have office overhead, malpractice premiums and many other expenses that you wouldn't have at the VA. Also from what I've heard you personally can't be sued for malpractice at the VA and you get your salary every month. So maybe in these times the VA is not such a bad place to work.

After reading all the crap regarding reimbursement cuts and now this DNP-Nurse-wanna be MD If things dont get fixed, will it probably be better to work at the VA? I know you make less than private practice but in private you have office overhead, malpractice premiums and many other expenses that you wouldn't have at the VA. Also from what I've heard you personally can't be sued for malpractice at the VA and you get your salary every month. So maybe in these times the VA is not such a bad place to work.

The VA covers you from malpractice, so you heard correct (unless I was lied to by a lot of people working there).

Working at the VA, I think, isn't that bad of a deal. You have job stability, office administration taken care for you, and you're taking care of people that have done the country a good service. The attendings I've talked to there so far seem to like what they're doing.

There are 2 benefits I can think of for working at VA:

1. You virtually won't get sued. Literally. The source is one of the doctors in my institution who gave a lecture on "medical malpractice lawsuits." I'm not aware of the details, but basically patients CANNOT sue doctors who work for the federal government without a certain "permit." And the government rarely if ever issues the permit.

2. You will see many patients of the same disease. This may be a good thing or a bad thing. Good thing = you will be so familiar of these diseases. Bad thing = boredom. The VA patients are much more "homogeneous" than the general population - male, white, smoking, etc.

2. You will see many patients of the same disease. This may be a good thing or a bad thing. Good thing = you will be so familiar of these diseases. Bad thing = boredom. The VA patients are much more "homogeneous" than the general population - male, white, smoking, etc.

Interesting points.

OP, it also depends on what specialty you're thinking of. For example, if you're thinking something like Vascular (we do G Surg and Vascular rotations at the VA here), you'll be doing lots of bread and butter cases - AV fistulas, fem-distals, etc. - and so that can definitely be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it.

I guess it all depends on your priorities. A similar thing could be said for working for an HMO vs. academic setting vs. private practice. Salary? Call schedule? Vacation time? Flexibility? Operating a small business?

Don't go in to OB/Gyn if you want to work at the VA :laugh:

Anyway, I also have heard the VA is a great place to work for renumeration of cases as well as the malpractice insurance benefits.

Don't go in to OB/Gyn if you want to work at the VA :laugh:

Anyway, I also have heard the VA is a great place to work for renumeration of cases as well as the malpractice insurance benefits.
What do you mean when you say remuneration of cases? Isn't all you get your salary?

The psychiatrist who led one of my small groups worked for the VA, and she said that while she gets paid less than her peers in private practice, she works less, has better benefits, a solid pension, much less being on call, and then a few other factors that may or may not be perks for you. Most of your patients are male, usually older, their insurance coverage won't really be an issue for you, etc.

Wait I thought socialized medicine was horrible for everyone involved?

Wait I thought socialized medicine was horrible for everyone involved?

it is

Don't go in to OB/Gyn if you want to work at the VA :laugh:

I delivered a baby at the VA here in December 2006 (second baby ever delivered at that hospital!).

it is

Well thats what people tell me, even a couple of the people in this thread talking about how great working for the VA could be.

At the VA, docs have to type a lot of their own notes into the computer system.

At the VA, docs have to type a lot of their own notes into the computer system.
Yes, CPRS (the EMR for VA) may be a dinosaur, but it's still better than 90% of systems out there. We've been looking at re-engineering it for the past 6 years, but budget $$$ have gone to other priorities.

Pros:
Take care of our veterans...I can think of few better things than caring for one
Fixed hours
Fixed salary
Liability Risk limitations (not totally protected, but pretty good)
Job stability and fully funded pension
Decent benefits;
Good leave policy
Minimial Administrative duties if not wanted. (worker bee status)

Cons:
Fixed Salary; Low limits, especially for subspecialties
Politics. Not all things are done for medical needs...highly dependent on VA location
Administration: no ability to enact change (worker bee status).
'respect' value. "oh, you work for the VA"...

Many more intricate issues, but those are the majors.