Some future possibilities?

[deleted314957]

Just some ideas. Since I retired in sept 2013 I have been approached about several job possibilities. I am not really interested in any of them but the door does not close at retirement.

Admin work (which I hate) : the head of hospital QA called me ( when I was 1 1/2 years post retirement after ~ 25 years as their lab medical director) to ask me if I wanted a part-time job in admin to help analyze ways the hospital could save money "like I did when I was lab medical director". Thanks, but no thanks, but if you like this kind of gig it will give you ~120k with health after you are retired. Hours are your own but there are lots of committees, ass kissing, ties, etc.

GI folks have offered me several positions ( I had a big and loyal gi clientele before i retired) and I am thru my one year non-compete but I really do not need or want it.)

Admin really seems the way to go for folks who cannot or do not want to get into a clinical position. Some folks like that work and others do not but you do not need an MBA if you have good people skills. They LOVE MD's who are personable, team players and have been committee-type people.

Expert witness consultation is also a viable option. Not too lucrative but will cover the bills. If you have lawyer friends ask them. You generally should have a decade or two behind you to have the cred that would attract any attorney to hire you. It is best if you are not a "hired gun" who is perceived as a partisan witness. Best that you have testified for "both" sides. The appearance of impartiality and an avuncular attitude to "educate" the jury is important.

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[yaah]

Good points. I think hospitals these days are looking for more and more physician input into leadership and administration. I think part of this stems from hitting quality metrics and satisfaction scores and such. Physicians on staff are stressed for time more and more and if they aren't giving up administrative responsibilities that they have they are declining others. Because these things don't pay. So they can find retired physicians willing to do it for less money. Same thing with part time jobs like with in office labs - they suspect they can get a retired person for less money.

That being said, it would be more difficult for someone new to practice to get these types of positions, because ideally they want experience as well as respect. It is also a plus because many retired/retiring physicians have a lot of experience in running their practices, which newer physicians do not and do not want.

 

[univlad]

Have the offers you've gotten from the GI folks you know been decent offers? Or offers you would have turned down in years past? I'm just curious if being friendly and a good diagnostician had been helpful over the years.

At some point I'll also likely retire and find something to do for health care and living expenses until I'm more retirement age. Maybe even something outside of pathology.

 

[deleted314957]

Have the offers you've gotten from the GI folks you know been decent offers? Or offers you would have turned down in years past? I'm just curious if being friendly and a good diagnostician had been helpful over the years.

At some point I'll also likely retire and find something to do for health care and living expenses until I'm more retirement age. Maybe even something outside of pathology.

They have been decent offers but ONLY for very part time work. I would never consider this kind of work for a non-retired person. The only advantage it would provide to me would be keeping my hand in something i have always enjoyed. The money is very secondary. However, I value my complete freedom more. Regarding your 2nd question, as I have said in the past, the 3 "a's" of pathology are 1)affability, 2) availability and 3) ability-in that order. This is not to imply that I have never had a long standing client just dump me for a buck.

 

[Torsed]

Teach at a med school or pathology residency program. They need you. Everytime I speak with academic pathologists they have no clue at all about the business side (I'm private practice).