Yes, there is $$ in Family Medicine
 

http://http://www.facebook.com/#!/pr...0821&sk=photosSo I got this offer in the mail today. Just thought I would share in case anyone out there is looking for a job. Note the $ 200,000 sign on bonus.

Looks like some kind of James Bond encoded message when I try to open it. The spy in me is not strong say's I.

Lets try this again.

I will say that Delta is a GREAT company to work with. I use them for my locums jobs.

Link works, the spy in me is still not strong though :(

Maybe this,
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/atta...6&d=1335829301

You can insert the image through the URL link of CB second post.
I thought I could help

Thanks!!:thumbup:

Good gracious...is the community in a toxic wasteland?! That is a hefty signing bonus.

They never really say until you call. This is the first sign-on I have seen that high but wanted to make the point that rural medicine does offer some pretty nice packages because usually it's in a location that is difficult to recruit to for whatever reason. That's why the interview trail for jobs is so difficult and you never really know what you are getting into until you visit the location.

And you get that awesome hot-aired balloon too? Or is that the only possible mode of transportation to the job? Or... is the hot air balloon the "200K sign on bonus?" Winning!

It's somewhat telling that they don't mention where it is.

That "signing bonus" exists for a reason, I'm sure.

Simply because of the size of it, it's very likely not so much a "bonus" as it is a loan, forgiven if you stay a certain length of time, but repayable (possibly even with a penalty) if you leave early.

Always read the fine print.

Blue: you and I both know they never tell you the location nor do you get the full picture unless you dig a little and are serious about applying. There is ALWAYS a catch with rural medicine. Just like the job I took is in the middle of nowhere and I would never live there. Hence the 2 weeks on/2 weeks off and commute back home.

However, just trying to quash fears that you can't "make it" being in family practice. You can, but you have to sacrifice something usually for the big money jobs but you don't have to settle for 120K either if you are willing to be flexible.

Any place with hot air balloons is ok with me :thumbup:

Looks like its Madison County, Iowa based on my research

Looks like they have 3 FPs, an IM and a Peds, all DOs, plus 3 midlevels
http://www.madisonhealth.com/home.html

You can scuba dive in Iowa????

Depends on where you're at. If you live on the east side of Iowa, then there's not much chance as the Mississippi is one of the dirtiest rivers I've ever seen. But there are some nice lakes out in western Iowa (where Madison County is).

This gives me hope. Despite staying in state for all of my schooling, I'm looking at the business end of 250K in loans when I'm done with med school and right now Fam Med is one of my top 3. I would never go into something I hated just for the money but this brightens my day knowing that whatever I choose, I probably won't have to sell my first born to cover my loans.

Heck, I like Iowa. I would do it.

I think you should demand a recruiting bonus cabinbuilder, it seems like you got a few people interested. (Also think about including a bonus for the guy who identified the place) ;)

Certainly sounds like Iowa. There's worse places.

I work as a paramedic in Iowa right now, there are some pretty nice hospitals and some pretty sketchy hospitals...

Nah, I get these flyers in my mail every week. I got my current job from a flyer. Seems I've had better luck going that route than by having a recruiter call be with potential jobs. Never know what's going to fall in your lap when you least expect it.

Did you have to sign up for something to get the flyers?

What makes the sketchy hospitals sketchy?

I also assume this is rural Iowa, considering I've driven through many many times, and yes they do have spring-fed deep lakes where you can do scuba-diving, and getting to work via hot-air balloon would be pretty cool until winter ;)

CB, thanks, as always for boosting the 'specialty' I want to go into! I was having a nice discussion last night about why I wanted to go into family medicine, and why I think it's important for our society...

No, once you are licensed to practice you get on some national mailing lists and these things just appear in your mailbox. You also get flyers of CME conferences that occur around the country. Not to worry, you all will be innundated eventually.

Sometimes the jobs are worth checking out. I found my current job from a flyer in my mailbox. Turned out better than any recruiter position. Sometimes you have to take a chance.

In general, hospital stigma spreads quickly among groups. For many of them, it only takes visiting the hospital's website to realize what kind of a shop they run. A lot of these hospitals suffer from a lack of physicians, lack of facilities, etc. Generally, there is a reason why this occurs (poor management, poor health system backing, etc). Then there is the stigma gained to get the sketchy status based on care provided for patients, etc. This tends to spread quickly. If you want some specific examples, PM me and I will send you some.

You say you are from somewhere between Colorado and Minnesota... are you from a rural area either state? Do you have experience working in rural practice? I think if you are specializing in family medicine, rural medicine is where it is at, especially the places that have their FMs run full scope.

As an aside, I was at work this weekend and our hospital's ems radio picks up stuff from crazy distances (100-200+ miles). We were picking up radio traffic from madison county all weekend, seemed busy.

I don't know if it is common for FM, but it is for EM recruiters to give broad but nonspecific details, and not state the location ("flagship state university with hunting opportunities abounding; vibrant local theatre and colorful, traditional ethnic neighborhoods are hallmarks of the urban, but not "too big", environment").

Otherwise, what you say is true.

I am FROM MN. I live in CO, I frequently drive between the two, so I am often "somewhere in between" ;)

I am from a smallish-town in Central MN, I have a cabin 30mn from the Canadian border, and could easily work in VERY rural MN, as in nearest small hospitals are 45mns away (Intl Falls and Big Fork)...

I would have no real issue working in rural med depending on where it is... I don't want to work in certain states, but we'll see... My husband works in Denver, so I am not sure about his job or our house, etc...

I get a few of these sort of postcards/flyers/mailers every day. Only very rarely do they mention location, and when they do it's typically very broad. Every single one of them looks fantastic. I've yet to call the number though.

If something sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

Isn't knowing that the location is "within 3 hours of a major metropolitan city with an airport and a university" enough information for you? :D

Anyone want a high paying job? Check this out:

http://www.physemp.com/physician_job...gn=SimplyHired

I'm going to be an MS1 this year or I would jump all over it, I grew up about 30 minutes from that area.

No thanks.

It certainly looks like a high stress situation, but for 475K, I could do it for a few years and get my loans paid down.

I posted it to show another example of the potential money to be made. I don't know how anyone could expect to make 475K and NOT work your tail off.

Yes, this is very similar to the job I am doing in Nevada except I am doing clinic and ER because there really aren't inpatients. It's HARD since I'm on 24/7 but I want to be debt free in 2 years and when you get out of residency at 40 I really don't want to be fighting the student loan thing for the next 20.

I really hope opportunities like this exist for me when I get finished with residency in about 7 years, I'm just starting medical school this year and I'll be 40 when I finish with residency. It would be nice to get something like this for a few years to knock the loans out. I guess only time will tell.

You guys are lucky, I'll just be finishing school at 40, residency at 43... My only upside is my husband makes decent money so hopefully we can chip away at the loans while I am in residency...
I wouldn't complain about that kind of money though, I just don't know how I'd get it in Denver!! CB if you have any thoughts, PM me ;) Always good to chat with you!

Sorry, You will NEVER see that kind of money in Denver or in the rest of Colorado. I looked at Denver jobs about 18 months ago and the highest I was offered was 180K and that was stretching it. Avg pay in Denver is 130K. I worked in Alamosa and their pkg is 160K. I worked in Walsenburg (don't do it) and theirs is 185K. Not sure why you are set on staying in Denver but we all have our needs and reasons. The problem is that the area is saturated with physicians who all want that outdoor life so there is no market for doctors there.

South Dakota and Iowa seem to be paying fairly well. A few places in Iowa I know of are offering 200k+, South Dakota offers around that with the advantage of no income tax. I dont think you are going to see 400k+ unless youre working your ass off

Have your husband get his pilots license. Then he can fly you into a job like that and pick you up at the end of the week! You could get the license yourself, but that might be tough while in med school. I'm already a pilot from my previous career so it really adds to the flexibility of taking jobs like the one posted above or like what cabinbuilder has, but not actually have to live in the location.

Double post, sorry.

Coop, don't offer things like this, he already wants his pilots license, giving him a legit reason to have one is a horrible reason!!! ;)

CB, I know, Adam is set on mountains, so the best I could do is maybe move to ID... Not sure, I guess we'll cross that bridge in 7yrs... There's money in CO, I've seen stuff out the Grand Junction way that are in the 220 range, but I don't know what I'd be doing, or where it is... Just know it's out that way... The reason we're here is Adam has a job paying 80k/yr, can't really turn your nose up at that even if I make 220, 80k is still a chunk of change...

Dang, if you want mountains then just cut to the chase and go to Alaska and really make some money. Don't hold your breath on Grand Junction, I interviewed out that way too in Meeker and the base pay was not 220K, it was 180K. It's totally rural medicine like what I am doing now, clinic, ER, and inpatient.

I don't understand what your husband does that is so dang important that you are stuck where he is when you will be a doctor and can work anywhere and his salary really would be a moot point eventually? Just curious. My husband finally gave up trying to work and stays home now because $300/wk just is laughable anymore. Just saying.

We'll see when that time comes, but 1500-2000/wk isn't laughable imho. If my salary in Denver was 150k (for instance), I would have to find a job imho, that was at least 100-120k more and in an area we're both willing to live... He is a manager in a dealership, and while he may be willing to give up his job to move, the job would have to be somewhere we're both willing to go... I guess that's my feeling... Montana could be an option, we have friends there, but we also have friends and family here sooo..... not sure... we'll see when it happens I guess...

Well, things do change and while 1500-2000/wk is good $$ for the regular joe, when you get out of residency and start making that in 1-2 days, you will see my point as to being able to be versatile and that his paycheck really won't make that big of a difference anymore.

I remember when I made $1500/month and thought that was a great salary. Now it' just all in a days work. I spent 18 months in Colorado and won't waste any more of my life there, it just didn't pay as a physician. By the time you get out of residency he may decide he wants to retire at that point.

Keep your doors open.

It is not difficult to find opportunities to make over 300k in SD unlessyou are in Sioux Falls or Rapid City. Go to neighboring towns such as custer, hot springs, sturgis, and deadwood pay very well.

And state income tax free too!

Those areas aren't far from rapid city, I am surprised they have a hard time finding physicians... I actually have friends who live in Custer... with their dog named Custer...

What's the high range a new grad coming out of FM residency can expect to pull in a rural job? Have a friend graduating in a year and they are just starting to look into this. Specifically in the Southeastern US. Is 200K+ too much to expect?

Depends on the region, but rural medicine its possible to pull that in, especially if you do full service rural medicine in a rural area.
I dont have much first hand experience with salaries, but looking at the job openings, many are offering 200+

i.e. Iowa opening
Job Description
Seeking to add one FP physician to compliment an active staff of family physicians, general surgeons and mid-level providers. OB is a must with 160 babies delivered per year.

Base salary gurantantee over 200K plus generous incentive
Loan Repayment

I wonder what salaries will be like in 7yrs when it actually matters for me ;)

I honestly don't think 200k is too much, CB says that rural always pays way more than urban, so I would have to think that's at least doable...

I think the major factor is the amount of time. You will make that much, because you work your ass off. Full service ER/OB/IP Call 1:1-10 plus a full clinic load 4-5 days a week, along with back up call for the PAs on your days off depending on the place, it can be a big load, but with that you get the autonomy and the trust that small towns can give a family physician. Rural areas tend to value their physicians highly in my experience.

I am biased in when I discuss rural medicine in that I talk most specifically about South Dakota and Iowa, mainly because thats where I have my experience at. I do know that there is a spot in South Dakota, I narrowed it down to likely Aberdeen, they are offering $169/hour for an BC FM physician to staff their newly opening ED. On the western side of the state, they are offering similar.