"Young ER doctors risk their lives on the pandemic’s front lines. But they struggle to find jobs."

[spacegun]

Edit: Sorry I didn't realize this had already been posted until just now. Mods please feel free to delete.

I guess things have gotten so bad for EM that even the Washington Post is noticing. It's not just being discussed among the medical community but now our national media is noticing too.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/01/04/er-doctors-covid-jobs

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[GeneralVeers]

Not sure most are "risking their lives" but that's news hyperbole

 

[Lexdiamondz]

Not sure most are "risking their lives" but that's news hyperbole

eh, a large number of my class got covid, 2 ended up on HFNC because they were desatting to the 70s.

Nobody died, and we are all fine now, but I dont think it's hyperbole in the least.

An attending nearby actually died though. dude was relatively healthy and in his 50s

 

[deleted941485]

Edit: Sorry I didn't realize this had already been posted until just now. Mods please feel free to delete.

I guess things have gotten so bad for EM that even the Washington Post is noticing. It's not just being discussed among the medical community but now our national media is noticing too.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/01/04/er-doctors-covid-jobs

You know your field is screwed when national media spotlights it and leadership denies it.

I loved the part where AAMC still predicts a shortage of physicians 100K?! Haha yeah...

 

[GeneralVeers]

eh, a large number of my class got covid, 2 ended up on HFNC because they were desatting to the 70s.

Nobody died, and we are all fine now, but I dont think it's hyperbole in the least.

An attending nearby actually died though. dude was relatively healthy and in his 50s

Still not"risking their lives". I hope people don't eat out, go to Costco, Walmart or go to family functions. Those are almost as dangerous to life.

 

[southerndoc]

I was going to merge the threads, but a separate thread is fine. This is talking more about jobs and less about accusations of harming the specialty (whether the accusations are true or not).

Good luck to all those trying to find jobs. Hopefully things start opening up soon.

 

[Backpack234]

what other skills could an ED doc develop to not be such a replaceable cog? As much as current residents are struggling to find jobs, I’m sure currently practicing docs face the same fear.

 

[nexus73]

Aren't there boatloads of smaller community hospitals staffed with family medicine docs that would kill to have a board certified ER doc on staff?

 

[nexus73]

what other skills could an ED doc develop to not be such a replaceable cog? As much as current residents are struggling to find jobs, I’m sure currently practicing docs face the same fear.

One ER doc near me runs a wellness type clinic, with hormone supplements and stuff like that.

 

[GeneralVeers]

Aren't there boatloads of smaller community hospitals staffed with family medicine docs that would kill to have a board certified ER doc on staff?

They wouldn't actually. They aren't willing to pay even market rates in a lot of these smaller hospitals, which is why they are willing to settle for substandard practitioners.

 

[nexus73]

They wouldn't actually. They aren't willing to pay even market rates in a lot of these smaller hospitals, which is why they are willing to settle for substandard practitioners.

So they might kill for it, but won't actually spend money on it.

 

[WilcoWorld]

Still not"risking their lives". I hope people don't eat out, go to Costco, Walmart or go to family functions. Those are almost as dangerous to life.

Desatting to the 70's is a threat to life. If you refuse to acknowledge that then you are not a good faith interlocutor.

 

[GeneralVeers]

Desatting to the 70's is a threat to life. If you refuse to acknowledge that then you are not a good faith interlocutor.

There are lots of threats to our lives in the ER. I'm not sure they are statistically risking their lives more than usual, at least the young under 40 cohort. I'm sure you will disagree vehemently

 

[emergentmd]

Sad Story. There are still Jobs for the SA residents but you need connections. What a big change from 3 yrs ago where they were begging to cover shifts all throughout SA.

 

[cyanide12345678]

Desatting to the 70's is a threat to life. If you refuse to acknowledge that then you are not a good faith interlocutor.

If i was desatting into the 70s and requiring high flow, i would certainly be freaking out and sitting down my wife and explaining to her all family finances.....