Attending Job Schedule Advice

[HoosierdaddyO]

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Heyyy all wanted to get your opinion on this situation that I am finding myself in with my potential future job!! So I will be a full time attending of 14 shifts per month but will be doing a 50/50 split between two hospitals under their system.

Hospital 1: Tertiary, level 1 trauma, burn 900 bed referral hospital for the region. Has resident and medical students that I would be supervising. Don’t have to see Peds cases, secondary to Peds EM covering that.

Hospital 2: Community hospital with 200 plus beds, no residents or Med students, has obgyn and catch lab, not a trauma center and not Peds floor, so any SICU or Peds anything has to be transferred out... also I will be seeing Peds here about 15% patient volume.

The catch here is that it was my impression that under this 50/50 split that I would be doing 7 shifts a month spread out at both hospitals... aka do a few shifts at 1 and then a few at 2 etc within each month lol!! I come to later find out that they want me to do a 4 month split/rotation at each hospital. 4 months at 1 and then 4 months at 2 and round and around. I was hoping to making this a career secondary to location being ideal for me and family, in addition to the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the split between teaching but also getting to do shifts on my own, but that was with the caveat that each place was being worked within the same month 7 shifts at each for the month.

Not sure how I feel about switching shops every 4 months. My concerns about having to relearn the system all the time, not knowing who to trust and which nurses and techs are good and bad due to turnover and per diem peeps, and the seeing Peds and then not seeing Peds etc. trying to find any potential positives to this q4 month split??? Or does it sound like a disaster. Any opinions on this kind of work schedule would be appreciated 🙂

 

[deleted480308]

You could find a doc there on the alternate schedule who also hates it and agree to switch more rapidly

 

[Tenk]

After you do this job for a few years you can pretty much work out of a dumpster and figure out how to get things done. I really wouldn’t worry about it if you like the hospitals and location. If anything, mixing stuff up every few months may be more beneficial than detrimental too.

 

[deleted497653]

Heyyy all wanted to get your opinion on this situation that I am finding myself in with my potential future job!! So I will be a full time attending of 14 shifts per month but will be doing a 50/50 split between two hospitals under their system.

Hospital 1: Tertiary, level 1 trauma, burn 900 bed referral hospital for the region. Has resident and medical students that I would be supervising. Don’t have to see Peds cases, secondary to Peds EM covering that.

Hospital 2: Community hospital with 200 plus beds, no residents or Med students, has obgyn and catch lab, not a trauma center and not Peds floor, so any SICU or Peds anything has to be transferred out... also I will be seeing Peds here about 15% patient volume.

The catch here is that it was my impression that under this 50/50 split that I would be doing 7 shifts a month spread out at both hospitals... aka do a few shifts at 1 and then a few at 2 etc within each month lol!! I come to later find out that they want me to do a 4 month split/rotation at each hospital. 4 months at 1 and then 4 months at 2 and round and around. I was hoping to making this a career secondary to location being ideal for me and family, in addition to the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the split between teaching but also getting to do shifts on my own, but that was with the caveat that each place was being worked within the same month 7 shifts at each for the month.

Not sure how I feel about switching shops every 4 months. My concerns about having to relearn the system all the time, not knowing who to trust and which nurses and techs are good and bad due to turnover and per diem peeps, and the seeing Peds and then not seeing Peds etc. trying to find any potential positives to this q4 month split??? Or does it sound like a disaster. Any opinions on this kind of work schedule would be appreciated 🙂

I had a situation where the scheduler would do something similar. Not much to do other than try to work with him or her. Schedulers tend to do what works for them but claim they are doing it for the good of all the doctors. Can they let you more of one site using you at the other site when short? They will likely say yes but end up doing what they already told you ...

 

[HoosierdaddyO]

After you do this job for a few years you can pretty much work out of a dumpster and figure out how to get things done. I really wouldn’t worry about it if you like the hospitals and location. If anything, mixing stuff up every few months may be more beneficial than detrimental too.

This is what I was potentially thinking as well to try and shed some positivity on the manner!!! By the time I’m getting a little tired and burnt out at one shop the it’s tike to get some exposure to a new system and vice versa.... you’re not just locked into one place day in and day out and there is an end in sight sorta speak for each 4 month period lol... trying to see the good lol. Of note both hospitals are equidistant but in opposite directions so it’s not an extended drive to one or the other

 

[cyanide12345678]

Heyyy all wanted to get your opinion on this situation that I am finding myself in with my potential future job!! So I will be a full time attending of 14 shifts per month but will be doing a 50/50 split between two hospitals under their system.

Hospital 1: Tertiary, level 1 trauma, burn 900 bed referral hospital for the region. Has resident and medical students that I would be supervising. Don’t have to see Peds cases, secondary to Peds EM covering that.

Hospital 2: Community hospital with 200 plus beds, no residents or Med students, has obgyn and catch lab, not a trauma center and not Peds floor, so any SICU or Peds anything has to be transferred out... also I will be seeing Peds here about 15% patient volume.

The catch here is that it was my impression that under this 50/50 split that I would be doing 7 shifts a month spread out at both hospitals... aka do a few shifts at 1 and then a few at 2 etc within each month lol!! I come to later find out that they want me to do a 4 month split/rotation at each hospital. 4 months at 1 and then 4 months at 2 and round and around. I was hoping to making this a career secondary to location being ideal for me and family, in addition to the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the split between teaching but also getting to do shifts on my own, but that was with the caveat that each place was being worked within the same month 7 shifts at each for the month.

Not sure how I feel about switching shops every 4 months. My concerns about having to relearn the system all the time, not knowing who to trust and which nurses and techs are good and bad due to turnover and per diem peeps, and the seeing Peds and then not seeing Peds etc. trying to find any potential positives to this q4 month split??? Or does it sound like a disaster. Any opinions on this kind of work schedule would be appreciated 🙂

Is hospital 1 parkland?

I feel like if you put your foot down and said you need to do a split ever month, they will agree to it

 

[HoosierdaddyO]

Is hospital 1 parkland?

I feel like if you put your foot down and said you need to do a split ever month, they will agree to it

Hahaha no not parkland, and I kinda and maybe should grow a pair and tell them that while it might be easier for you to schedule me like that... it’s just not right to do to one of your own W2 career peeps ‍♂️!!!

 

[cyanide12345678]

Hahaha no not parkland, and I kinda and maybe should grow a pair and tell them that while it might be easier for you to schedule me like that... it’s just not right to do to one of your own W2 career peeps ‍♂!!!

they will always say no to try to get what they want before saying yes.

if they are short staffed, and are in need for a doc, which a lot of places are, then you can control your schedule. its not even something big you are trying to get

 

[Backpack234]

If you’re already in the hiring process, they’ll be willing to negotiate. If you’re still interviewing, they probably have 5 other interviewees behind you and some midlevels waiting to replace you. Just be aware of your situation.

 

[B52forU]

Just my 2 cents also as a new attending.

I work at four hospitals:

1. 650ish bed trauma 1 hospital with residents and medical students with very high acuity
2. 350ish bed high acuity community center that sees 150K ED visits/year
3. 50 bed community hospital that sees 45K ED visits a year
4. 12 bed community hospital that sees 30K ED visits a year

I work about 140 hours a month with a 45/45/5/5% split between those sites respectively per month and I don't really find any issues with having a mix of different sites as they have different levels of acuity and more importantly distinct patient populations. The commute sucks but the majority of my shifts are closer to me and I find that in the beginning, I liked having exposure to them all to learn what I truly like and don't like. Too many shifts at any one site and I begin feeling burned out/bored. Your pediatric situation is unfortunate, but relearning the system isn't that difficult especially as it sounds like it is within a hospital system which would have the same EMR. It does help to know the staff you work with around you on shift but consultants/hospitalists don't change as frequently. I find it more difficult to remember names (faces always register) and some minor semantics such as this site has this site having SOC teleneurologists and my academic site has a stroke team and POCT but it just takes longer. A mixture of different sites and patient population helps in making you become more versatile/adaptable which is an important skill imo when you are first starting out

 

[Splenda88]

I think 1 month rotation would be more ideal... If you can't get 1 month, try to negotiate for 2

 

[HoosierdaddyO]

So another question is... is it ever ok to be offered a contract, and once it’s been reviewed by myself, if I was to sort of renegotiate by asking for something else or more of one thing. Aka if they offer you .2 FTE but you really think the job requires .3 FTE. Is it ok to inquire about that or should one work there for a year and see how it goes and then after having some solid feet at the institution to then ask for an increase in FTE? The job is ideal location but not the ideal work situation.