Taking a year off work

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Lex81

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I've been considering taking a year or 2 completely out of the medical field to concentrate on other parts of my life. I love medicine and practicing EM. I've been an attending for a few years now, and things are going great. I also however have other very important interests I need to pursue now which should take my full attention. Can't go into great detail, but I would be conceivably leaving the medical field temporarily for 1-2 years. Seeing EM for what it is, it seems like I would have no problem getting rehired again when I return. My current job is even leaving the "door open" so to speak, though I'm not sure where geographically I'll end up when I get back into medicine. Locums or per diem also is not an option during this time.

Is there anything I should maintain during my absence (license, certifications, ect.)? Any redflags or big issues with this that anyone can see other than the fact that I'll of course need to explain 1-2 years in my CV? I figure I'll probably do a refresher course as well when I return just to get to cobwebs out.

Thanks

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Good for you. After being out 1-2 years you may not want to come back. Keep your ABEM up, LLSAs, your license and required CME, etc.

Here's one question: how rusty are your skills going to be after 1-2 years, or are you going to do a few shifts here and there, to keep the wheels greased?

Also, is this a trial run for getting out of EM and/or Medicine completely?
 
I feel you! This is something I really would love to do, nay, need to do as well.

Unfortunately, with a family and mountains of debt, I find myself trapped.
If you have the means then good on ya mate!

Although, my reasons would seem far different from yours. While I do have other interests I would love to pursue, I do not love medicine and likely this will get worse. I cannot imagine I would confide leaving if I had a good relationship with my work.



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Thanks for the responses, nice to hear the words of encouragement! Sorry to hear about your situation trumpet, sounds like your current job is not the best fit for you.

Bird- that's the question. I know about LLSA and the credits needed each year. I'm board certified with 9 years before a recert. What do you mean about ABEM up? Required CME's?... not sure what that is. I won't be able to do any shifts as I'll be out of the country. I bet I will be rusty when I get back, but I've always been good on keeping up with ebm, and will do some refresher conference in the end. I'm just trying to figure out if I'm overlooking anything significantly negative from a job/future standpoint by doing this.

This also isn't a trial out of medicine, I truly did enjoy the vast majority of shifts I work, at least at my current job. When I return, it's back to work 100%, though won't know where till I get back.
 
Bird- that's the question. I know about LLSA and the credits needed each year. I'm board certified with 9 years before a recert. What do you mean about ABEM up?

I just meant keeping your ABEM certification current.
 
I feel rusty and out of sorts when I get back from a long vacation. I had an almost two week break earlier this year (my first year out) and felt very disoriented by the ED when I came back. I don't think that I personally could take more than a few months off at the absolute most without having some serious anxiety about my skill retention upon returning to the ED. That's me, though, and other people may feel fine after a few weeks off.
 
Bump? OP did you leave emergency medicine?

Has anyone had any experience with longer time away from clinical medicine? If someone did take a very extended leave from medicine (ie 5 years), how might they get their foot back in the door? Do these physicians face significant hardship being hired?
 
i have no clue what OP did. But if I were him, and could do it, I would do 2-5 locums shifts a month to keep up your skills. Plus if you ever go back, you do not have a 2 yr hx of emptiness.
 
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If someone did take a very extended leave from medicine (ie 5 years), how might they get their foot back in the door? Do these physicians face significant hardship being hired?

If you take 5 years off you will find it more difficult to get a job if you decide to come back. You will probably be able to find a job somewhere... where that is would be a question though. I personally would not hire someone out of medicine for 5 years.
 
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i have no clue what OP did. But if I were him, and could do it, I would do 2-5 locums shifts a month to keep up your skills. Plus if you ever go back, you do not have a 2 yr hx of emptiness.

Thanks for the suggestion. Had no idea, you could sign up for locum gigs for anything less than a few weeks of shifts at a time. Thanks
 
So I did take a year off. Backpacked through the middle east, Asia, and Polynesia, had some really vivid experiences and life changing moments. Back now working a cherry specialty locums gig. Could leave whenever I want and do it again (very tempting to say the least, had been thinking about msf or other long term relief work this time around though). I'd say this. If your not tied down to a SO, have an adventurous spirit, our specialty is tailor made for vagabonds like us. With the climate in ER, you can leave for a year and come back, jobs will literally be knocking down your door (assuming you don't have any red flags). I tend to keep up with the latest EBM and I reviewed everything again before I started so I was minimally rusty. Its like a bike, after a month working again, its like I never took a year off.
 
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So I did take a year off. Backpacked through the middle east, Asia, and Polynesia, had some really vivid experiences and life changing moments. Back now working a cherry specialty locums gig. Could leave whenever I want and do it again (very tempting to say the least, had been thinking about msf or other long term relief work this time around though). I'd say this. If your not tied down to a SO, have an adventurous spirit, our specialty is tailor made for vagabonds like us. With the climate in ER, you can leave for a year and come back, jobs will literally be knocking down your door (assuming you don't have any red flags). I tend to keep up with the latest EBM and I reviewed everything again before I started so I was minimally rusty. Its like a bike, after a month working again, its like I never took a year off.

This is my dream after residency is done.
 
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