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I have been shadowing in the ER lately. I have always wanted to move to alaska for a time. How do I work as a doctor there? Who has been to alaska and can speak about the state?
Alaskan ER
- Thread starter Steve H
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G
gmcguitar4
Well to work as a doctor there you apply for a job just like any other position. It's not like the whole state is a giant forest..well 99% is. They have a few decent sized cities.
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No there aren't. The second largest city in Alaska is Fairbanks. It has approximately 40,000 people.
Also, Alaska is not 99% forest. Alaska is mostly tundra. http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/tundra.htm
One thing is for sure--Alaska is badass. If you cut Alaska in two, texas becomes the THIRD largest state.
It is a beautiful state, with tons of culture, a strong economy, ample jobs for Alaskans, and incredible wildlife. I imagine it would be an exciting place to practice medicine as well.
-P
Wow, is that true? So Alaska is the least competitive of the 50? Even less competitive than North Dakota?
I hear Alaskan doctors are treated well. There're a lot of sick people, but fewer doctors. They need doctors.
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That claim is completely unfounded. All residency spots in the U.S. are relatively hard to get. While some may be "easier" then others, its a mistake to underestimate the competition.
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The US Department of Health and Human Services sponsors jobs in Alaska through Indian Health Service Public Health Professions. See: http://www.ihs.gov/physicians/
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I live in Fairbanks, Alaska. The state is too big to make any generalizations about. If you live in Anchorage, it is just like any city in the Lower 48 with around 500,000 people. There are also plenty of villages where you would be the only doctor, sometimes the only doctor for a few villages. You can live in an area that's as urban or rural (especially rural) as you like. There are a lot of very good doctors in the state who moved there because they love the area. The hospitals in Anchorage can treat just about every medical condition out there, but some patients with very unusual or difficult to treat illnesses have to go to Seattle. Emergency Medicine shouldn't be too different from anywhere else in the US.
I believe Alaska has more doctors per capita than any other state, thanks to the widely dispersed rural population. However, there isn't any medical school here. Instead, twenty students do their first year of med school in Alaska and the next three at University of Washington in the WWAMI program. That's what I'm hoping to do when I'm done with my prereq classes.
Summers throughout the state are beautiful, but winters are cold and rainy on the coast and really, really cold in the interior. Winter can be depressing and gloomy, but I always thought that the long summer days made up for it. The cost of living is high, especially in places that aren't connected to the road system. Fairbanks is reasonably cheap compared to the rest of the state, but a bag of Doritos is still almost five bucks. On the other hand, there is actual employment here. Wages are good and are still Now Hiring signs outside of retail stores. I haven't seen one of those in the Lower 48 in years.
I believe Alaska has more doctors per capita than any other state, thanks to the widely dispersed rural population. However, there isn't any medical school here. Instead, twenty students do their first year of med school in Alaska and the next three at University of Washington in the WWAMI program. That's what I'm hoping to do when I'm done with my prereq classes.
Summers throughout the state are beautiful, but winters are cold and rainy on the coast and really, really cold in the interior. Winter can be depressing and gloomy, but I always thought that the long summer days made up for it. The cost of living is high, especially in places that aren't connected to the road system. Fairbanks is reasonably cheap compared to the rest of the state, but a bag of Doritos is still almost five bucks. On the other hand, there is actual employment here. Wages are good and are still Now Hiring signs outside of retail stores. I haven't seen one of those in the Lower 48 in years.
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Haha so true!
I lived in Anchorage for a while and can recommend the pre-med advisor (Quentin Reuer) at University of Alaska Anchorage. He's extremely knowledgeable & well-connected and would probably have more direct experience with your questions. Search their website for his contact info.
