Some very general questions about working as a doctor in the US

[imgyg]

I understand the below vary hugely depending on which medical field you are entering but just looking for rough information. Assume USMLEs done.

1. How hard is it to get a job for IMGs?
2. What is the starting salary (do they call it PYG1)?
3. What is the salary when fully trained (called attending?)

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[imgyg]

bump

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Your questions are so vague, it's hard to say.

1. You need a residency spot, called a PGY-1. technically, if you get a categorical position, you're getting the expectatation of full training, 3 to 7 years depending on the field. How hard is this to get? It totally depends upon where you have done your schooling, how well you've done on the USMLE, how much US experience you have, connections in the US, when you graduated, whether you need a visa or not, and a bunch of other things.

2. Most residents start between $45-60K US, variable by program.

3. Could be anything from $150K to lots more, depending on field, location, and how hard you want to work.

 

[imgyg]

Thanks for the response. I have another very general question: what are the working conditions like in the US? In Ireland we work hard but junior doctors also do a lot of phlebotomy, ecgs etc. I assume that in America none of that is done by doctors? I have heard some stories of some surgical specialties starting work at 5am, is this true?

 

[Medstart108]

Thanks for the response. I have another very general question: what are the working conditions like in the US? In Ireland we work hard but junior doctors also do a lot of phlebotomy, ecgs etc. I assume that in America none of that is done by doctors? I have heard some stories of some surgical specialties starting work at 5am, is this true?

Yes, in the US doctors don't do phlebotomy, that is done by nurses generally. I've spoken to Irish trained physicians in Canada/US and they tell me that your PGY-1 year is equivalent to Senior House Officer in Ireland. Medical students in the US will do more procedures than in Ireland so if you do go to PGY-1 your learning curve will be tougher.

Some surgical specialties do start at 5am.

 

[imgyg]

Thanks for your response. We do intern year in Ireland prior to senior house officer. Which procedures specifically do medical students do?

 

[Medstart108]

Thanks for your response. We do intern year in Ireland prior to senior house officer. Which procedures specifically do medical students do?

I know that they are placed in charge of patients from beginning to finish so clerking, ordering tests, monitoring progress, reporting to residents etc. In surgery they will often get to do some assisting more than just retracting. Things like paracentesis, chest drains, peripheral lines. I'm not at the stage yet so i'm not 100% sure but this is generally the idea I got.

 

[styphon]

Thanks for your response. We do intern year in Ireland prior to senior house officer. Which procedures specifically do medical students do?

Depends on the rotation, and what the team needs.

For example: As senior resident I am preparing to do a paracentesis, I have my numbers - so who gets to do it? If I have an intern, who is on my service (as opposed to IM or other visiting service) - they will get first dibs. Some of them do not want to do any procedures, which is fine. If the service intern does not want it, then the off-service intern (if present) gets a chance, if not then the medical student.

I am family medicine trained, and our training focused on hospital training at a large urban Level II hospital. When I was senior resident, I had medical students doing NG tubes, dobhoff tubes, ABGs, paracentesis, joint injections. During OB rotations I would have students do cervical checks (while double checking them), deliver placenta, cut the cord - and start helping them do the delivery itself. We did not do peripheral lines - as the nurses did these. We did central lines, but almost every time the residents needed their numbers and the med student did not get the chance to do it.