Pulmonary / CC Lifestyle and Personality Questions

[PreHippocrates]

Hi all. I have little exposure to PCC but am interested in finding out more. I wasn't able to find good, generic information about PCC on SDN, but would love to hear some basics from attendings, fellows, and residents who plan to go into PCC.

To give me a general idea about your life and work, maybe you could respond to some of the following questions. (Or, you can just prattle on if that's your thing.)

1. What first interested you in PCC, and what has continued to interest you in PCC?

2. How satisfied are you with your choice to go into PCC? Would you choose to go somewhere else had you to do it again? What other specialties would you consider alongside PCC?

3. What sort of people enjoy PCC? What (if any generalizations can be made) sorts of personalities does it attract?

4. Do you feel overworked? Do you have life-work balance? Are you able to meet family obligations?

5. What piece of advice would you share with someone interested in going into PCC?


Thanks in advance for your responses.

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[jdh71]

Hm. I guess I fell in love with critical care first, and then then pulmonary came later. I like chest imaging. I like short procedures that don't require an OR. Lung disease is challenging. So far I'm very satisfied with my choice. I love my job. Though, you need to have things set up right or you could end up working too much and burn out. I think PCC attracts folks that want to be "real doctors" (in quotes for a reason, not to hurt feels) - people that enjoy and want to feel comfortable handling the very sick. Right now I work hard ad play hard. My job is nice and I work about half the month, and half of that is in the clinic and half of that is in the ICU. If I wasn't doing this I think I'd consider palliative care or perhaps even emergency medicine. Advice: show up, pay attenton, and do your best to give a sht when everyone else is not.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Hm. I guess I fell in love with critical care first, and then then pulmonary came later. I like chest imaging. I like short procedures that don't require an OR. Lung disease is challenging. So far I'm very satisfied with my choice. I love my job. Though, you need to have things set up right or you could end up working too much and burn out. I think PCC attracts folks that want to be "real doctors" (in quotes for a reason, not to hurt feels) - people that enjoy and want to feel comfortable handling the very sick. Right now I work hard ad play hard. My job is nice and I work about half the month, and half of that is in the clinic and half of that is in the ICU. If I wasn't doing this I think I'd consider palliative care or perhaps even emergency medicine. Advice: show up, pay attenton, and do your best to give a sht when everyone else is not.

Do you mean that you work a week of ICU, a week off, a week of pulm clinic, then a week off before doing ICU again? And when you are on the ICU service, are you responsible for it 24/7 or do you do 12 hour shifts?

Thanks

 

[jdh71]

Do you mean that you work a week of ICU, a week off, a week of pulm clinic, then a week off before doing ICU again? And when you are on the ICU service, are you responsible for it 24/7 or do you do 12 hour shifts?

Thanks

There are many different models out there. I work 15 shifts per month. I will usually work at least one 5 day stretch or a 7 day stretch in the ICU every month. Some months I will work more than one of those stretches or have a shift of nights. The rest of my shifts are made up in the clinic as I decide to work. Right now I'm playing around with working some days every week, but taking long weekends. I'm not sure which I prefer. I could work more days spaced close together and have a week off each month very easily.

We work shifts. No call. You're on in the unit, or you are not.

 

[Hernandez]

That's the nice thing about PCC, there is no set way to set up your practice. I'm currently doing Pulm with CC consultation and home call. I work mon-Friday, 1 weekend out of 6 and 1 week night home call a week. My ego misses the ICU, my family and triglyceride level doesn't. and I don't have to fight with GI about the massive GI bleed it surgery about taking someone to the OR, my group may eventually take over one of the Icu services again at some point but right now this is working for me.

 

[docoffice77]

Hm. I guess I fell in love with critical care first, and then then pulmonary came later. I like chest imaging. I like short procedures that don't require an OR. Lung disease is challenging. So far I'm very satisfied with my choice. I love my job. Though, you need to have things set up right or you could end up working too much and burn out. I think PCC attracts folks that want to be "real doctors" (in quotes for a reason, not to hurt feels) - people that enjoy and want to feel comfortable handling the very sick. Right now I work hard ad play hard. My job is nice and I work about half the month, and half of that is in the clinic and half of that is in the ICU. If I wasn't doing this I think I'd consider palliative care or perhaps even emergency medicine. Advice: show up, pay attenton, and do your best to give a sht when everyone else is not.

jdh, why would you consider palliative care if you were not doing pulm/cc? I ask because right now I am 90% sure I want to do palliative (from IM program) but I changed my mind first from cards then to pulm/cc (at one point I was 90% sure of pulm) but now I want to do palliative. Would just be interested in your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[jdh71]

jdh, why would you consider palliative care if you were not doing pulm/cc? I ask because right now I am 90% sure I want to do palliative (from IM program) but I changed my mind first from cards then to pulm/cc (at one point I was 90% sure of pulm) but now I want to do palliative. Would just be interested in your thoughts. Thanks!

Hm. I guess because the like that kind of medicine. I enjoyed being able to stop trying to fix things or push meds to treat long chronic illness and just treat symptoms. It felt like you were able to really get to the heart of the real problem in a way and in a meaningful way that really helped patients. I mean you go from PAIN!!!!!!! to calm and comfort and you get to do it in a way that doesn't have to concern itself with the addition/dependence, the DEA, the state medical board, or pissed off patients and families that are always a consideration when you have to use these medications in any other setting or context. I guess it feels like you get to be a REAL doctor. (a term I ALWAYS get into trouble for using around SDN, but I'm not trying to be offensive or make any statements that there is only ONE way to be a "real" doctor)

 

[tartesos]

Hi all. I have little exposure to PCC but am interested in finding out more. I wasn't able to find good, generic information about PCC on SDN, but would love to hear some basics from attendings, fellows, and residents who plan to go into PCC.

To give me a general idea about your life and work, maybe you could respond to some of the following questions. (Or, you can just prattle on if that's your thing.)

1. What first interested you in PCC, and what has continued to interest you in PCC?

2. How satisfied are you with your choice to go into PCC? Would you choose to go somewhere else had you to do it again? What other specialties would you consider alongside PCC?

3. What sort of people enjoy PCC? What (if any generalizations can be made) sorts of personalities does it attract?

4. Do you feel overworked? Do you have life-work balance? Are you able to meet family obligations?

5. What piece of advice would you share with someone interested in going into PCC?


Thanks in advance for your responses.

It varies for most, but Pulm/Ccm does attract a certain type of personality. Usually the most laid back/ calm when shtf( some may say you learn that by exposure, but I think not for all of them).

I loved Ccm and now love Pulm, but to me Pulm came as an added bonus( burden at the time but I've learned to love it), as I wanted only Ccm, but I have no regrets so far.

Can't tell you first hand about work schedule I'm still a fellow, I'm still undecided about how I will want to work, but 1 w on 1 w off sounds awesome to me ( there's a chance of that for me in the future).

In the end, it's very gratifying to heal some so fast and take some patients off death's grip, and frustrating when the ones that you can't help go down in flames in front of you

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I have a silly question.

Do CC docs wear scrubs when they are covering the unit?

 

[gutonc]

I have a silly question.

Do CC docs wear scrubs when they are covering the unit?

If they want to.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

I have a silly question.

Do CC docs wear scrubs when they are covering the unit?

It's not that silly of a question at all. I've always been a blue-collar guy from a blue-collar family. I hate wearing ties/suits/the white coat. I'm comfy in a pair of scrubs. I was really set on some other specialties but after third year started and I had to dress like a d-bag and work with people comparing faux rolexes (no, really) I'd put a bullet to the head before ever working in anything but scrubs.

Interested in some IM subspecialties still (like PCCM) but man getting through outpatient for a few years might be hard to make it worth it.

 

[Hernandez]

It's not that silly of a question at all. I've always been a blue-collar guy from a blue-collar family. I hate wearing ties/suits/the white coat. I'm comfy in a pair of scrubs. I was really set on some other specialties but after third year started and I had to dress like a d-bag and work with people comparing faux rolexes (no, really) I'd put a bullet to the head before ever working in anything but scrubs.

Interested in some IM subspecialties still (like PCCM) but man getting through outpatient for a few years might be hard to make it worth it.

Whatca talkin about? I wear my folex with my scrubs......I wear scrubs to clinic and khakis when I'm in the ICU.

 

[mrpankration]

Or, you can be ultra tough and rock the scrub top with the khakis, tactical style.

 

[gutonc]

Or, you can be ultra tough and rock the scrub top with the khakis, tactical style.

The ER mullet?

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I like scrubs; I think they look sexy, especially when the top is tucked in and the white coat is worn over it. I'd hate to go into a specialty where I'm expected to dress up in shirt and tie on daily basis.

 

[Raryn]

The ER mullet?

I was thinking GI fellow as I was reading that...

 

[tartesos]

I love wearing scrubs... I did let my waist go a bit in 2014 though... And I blame the scrubs of course!