Is the anesthesia job market saturated?

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I guess that's what I meant.... Residency is important not only bc of reputation but also the connections you make


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It's more important than EVER to make good connections during your Residency; I'd also add a high powered Residency and Fellowship helps get your foot in the door but the rest is up to you.

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I love how Arch and Blade go at it. Would be funny to see if you all could get along in real life. Maybe Blade is totally different person outside of here. Like this is his alter ego? Maybe?

Blade knows I am only rattling his cage a little bit. He is a great resource on this board.

After all, he covers 4 rooms always, everyone is an ASA 3 or 4, he starts 15 central lines a day off-site, does 20 u/s guided blocks a day and has never had a block fail.:p;):)
 
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Blade knows I am only rattling his cage a little bit. He is a great resource on this board.

After all, he covers 4 rooms always, everyone is an ASA 3 or 4, he starts 15 central lines a day off-site, does 20 u/s guided blocks a day and has never had a block fail.:p;):)


My blocks don't fail but I've had a few last days or even a week So I'd take a failed block over that anytime I could get it.
 
http://asclepion.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-job-hunt-ii-geographic-variations.html

"Nevertheless, because of family, friends, our social network, our fear of inclement weather, our personal desires and goals, or any dozen other reasons, we tend to stay in the place we did our training, and often, that means in places that are replete with physicians. The Bay Area, for example, is a tight market. When I first started sending out letters of inquiry, half of my emails got no response, and a quarter got a "Thank you for your interest, but we're not looking to hire." Only a few groups were actively and publicly recruiting; most were only looking around through contacts or not necessarily in need of another doctor. Thus, all my colleagues in the Bay Area felt intense pressure if they wanted to stay. In fact, more than half my residency and nearly 90% of my fellowship class ended up leaving this area because there simply weren't acceptable jobs. This can be really scary, and it's why even for a well-trained highly qualified physician, finding a job isn't a walk in the park."
 
http://asclepion.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-job-hunt-ii-geographic-variations.html

"Nevertheless, because of family, friends, our social network, our fear of inclement weather, our personal desires and goals, or any dozen other reasons, we tend to stay in the place we did our training, and often, that means in places that are replete with physicians. The Bay Area, for example, is a tight market. When I first started sending out letters of inquiry, half of my emails got no response, and a quarter got a "Thank you for your interest, but we're not looking to hire." Only a few groups were actively and publicly recruiting; most were only looking around through contacts or not necessarily in need of another doctor. Thus, all my colleagues in the Bay Area felt intense pressure if they wanted to stay. In fact, more than half my residency and nearly 90% of my fellowship class ended up leaving this area because there simply weren't acceptable jobs. This can be really scary, and it's why even for a well-trained highly qualified physician, finding a job isn't a walk in the park."
Yeah unfortunately the Bay Area is one of the most saturated markets. Craig Chen is a Stanford grad who is anes/cc too...
 
http://asclepion.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-job-hunt-ii-geographic-variations.html

"Nevertheless, because of family, friends, our social network, our fear of inclement weather, our personal desires and goals, or any dozen other reasons, we tend to stay in the place we did our training, and often, that means in places that are replete with physicians. The Bay Area, for example, is a tight market. When I first started sending out letters of inquiry, half of my emails got no response, and a quarter got a "Thank you for your interest, but we're not looking to hire." Only a few groups were actively and publicly recruiting; most were only looking around through contacts or not necessarily in need of another doctor. Thus, all my colleagues in the Bay Area felt intense pressure if they wanted to stay. In fact, more than half my residency and nearly 90% of my fellowship class ended up leaving this area because there simply weren't acceptable jobs. This can be really scary, and it's why even for a well-trained highly qualified physician, finding a job isn't a walk in the park."

When I finished in the 1990s the situation was much the same. 90% of my cohorts left town. But in the ensuing 4-8 years, 70-80% of those who left actually moved back. So in the long run, most of us are still here in the community where we trained.
 
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Yeah unfortunately the Bay Area is one of the most saturated markets. Craig Chen is a Stanford grad who is anes/cc too...

There's a lot of flux in the Bay Area which means there are a lot of transitions and hiring going on.The opportunities may not be what they were 5 years ago but there are still decent opportunities.
 
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the job market is definately very saturated
 
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I alluded to this in another thread, but I'm not finding that it's saturated for cardiac (fellowship and TEE boarded/eligible). I have zero desire to live in the Northeast or Cali so haven't looked there. Mostly searching in the Midwest, South, and Central regions, and I'm getting calls back the day after I send my CV. Good amount of partnership tracks too, some hospital employee jobs, not considering AMCs at this time.
 
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In the bad mid 90s there was an ad in either Anesthesiology or A & A for an OB night only job @ UCSF. It was something like 50 hrs/week ( 5 ten hour shifts or something like that) and paid less than $100K.
Yup. My brother in DC in 1996. $110k cardiac anesthesia plus some general. Full call.
 
How much were FM/Peds docs making during that time? Was gas the lowest paid specialty?
FP/peds were around $70-80k back than in mid 90s.

Heck. Internal medicine in big cities was still in low 100s even through mid 2000s.

My sister in law was offered $90k in 2002 as internal medicine. So she took hospitalist job for $200k 7 on/7 off schedule. DC area.
 
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How were the surgical specialties doing then?

One of the Ortho docs said they were getting 25k for a hip back in the hay-day. That is insane.
 
How were the surgical specialties doing then?

One of the Ortho docs said they were getting 25k for a hip back in the hay-day. That is insane.

I know! A carpenter could work for a month putting in thousands of nails and screws and not make what ortho made in an hour.
 
How were the surgical specialties doing then?

One of the Ortho docs said they were getting 25k for a hip back in the hay-day. That is insane.
Wow. But I think Ortho is on the chopping block now. I just got an email from uptodate talking about a meta that showed arthroscopic knee surgery for OA lacks efficacy.
 
Wow. But I think Ortho is on the chopping block now. I just got an email from uptodate talking about a meta that showed arthroscopic knee surgery for OA lacks efficacy.

You're using one crummy article as the death knell for orthopedic surgery? Really? EVERY orthopod I know makes AT LEAST $750k with many making over a mil a year. You are clearly mistaken.
 
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Wow. But I think Ortho is on the chopping block now. I just got an email from uptodate talking about a meta that showed arthroscopic knee surgery for OA lacks efficacy.
These things are never the harbinger for the chopping block. Only socioeconomic pressures bring about real change. The US health care system will keep afloat until the debt problems arrive to our shores, THEN s*** will change. And it'll probably change fast.
 
These things are never the harbinger for the chopping block. Only socioeconomic pressures bring about real change. The US health care system will keep afloat until the debt problems arrive to our shores, THEN s*** will change. And it'll probably change fast.
Are you doing fellowship bronx?
 
i have heard the horror stories of the 90s. folks were making less money than bartenders!!!
 
In the bad mid 90s there was an ad in either Anesthesiology or A & A for an OB night only job @ UCSF. It was something like 50 hrs/week ( 5 ten hour shifts or something like that) and paid less than $100K.

Guess I was mistaken then. I was going off stories my attendings would tell about their early careers.
 
Guess I was mistaken then. I was going off stories my attendings would tell about their early careers.

For those that had secure partner jobs it was a great time to practice. For those who were looking for a job from about 1993-1999, not so much.
 
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To go back to the OP, I'm not sure if the anesthesiology job market is saturated, per se. I think the problem is that most of us all want jobs in the same places. On the other hand, as reimbursement declines, I think groups (mostly private) are trying to push towards getting as much work done with as few people as possible to keep salaries up. On the academic side, I'm not sure a whole lot. I think state budgets cause hiring freezes regarding public hospitals and if it's a private hospital I think hiring is based on how busy the hospital.

That's just my outside observation and theory, but I'd love to hear more concrete and true facts.
 
An anesthesiologist I know who is semi retired now told me back in the 90s, he never made less than 750K a year!
 
The way the current trajectory is heading for PP vs Academics regarding compensation, academics maybe a better option to get "more bang for the buck".

Personally I believe average salaries will not fall below the magic number of 300. But if it did, I think I would head into academics and having a cardiac fellowship may make it easier to get in the door.
 
Are you doing fellowship bronx?
Yeah, I'm going to do a fellowship in rheumatology. Was initially thinking something inpatient based, but I don't think that's a good idea long term. This hospital dominant paradigm will get rocked. Most hospital systems out there are so over-levered that any disruption in the current reimbursement model will break them. Outpatient will be more viable long term in comparison.
 
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Yeah, I'm going to do a fellowship in rheumatology. Was initially thinking something inpatient based, but I don't think that's a good idea long term. This hospital dominant paradigm will get rocked. Most hospital systems out there are so over-levered that any disruption in the current reimbursement model will break them. Outpatient will be more viable long term in comparison.
Why Rheum instead of doing outpt. IM and saving an extra 2 yrs of training? Pay seems to be the same right now.

Also, you mentioned gas would've been a no-brainer for you had the crna problem not existed. Do you ever have 2nd thoughts about not having done gas?
 
Why Rheum instead of doing outpt. IM and saving an extra 2 yrs of training? Pay seems to be the same right now.

Also, you mentioned gas would've been a no-brainer for you had the crna problem not existed. Do you ever have 2nd thoughts about not having done gas?
I honestly thank the heavens that I didn't do gas. Between the CRNA problem, continued improvement in technology, and unsustainability of hospital systems, I think I am better off in the outpatient setting with direct patient contact. Outpatient IM (primary care) adds tons of value and is becoming a better and better gig in terms of hours and income, but the BS that comes with it are worth the two years of fellowship alone. Plus, the moonlighting opportunities at my institution are phenomenal, so it wouldn't be THAT big a pay cut.
 
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