Average age at retirement

[BlackScorpion]

---

Members do not see this ad.

To anyone in the know, what is the average age at retirement of most anesthesiologists. I recently ran into an attending who at 80 is still doing B&b cases.

 

[huron]

To anyone in the know, what is the average age at retirement of most anesthesiologists. I recently ran into an attending who at 80 is still doing B&b cases.

"average age of retirement among
American anesthesiologists to be 64.1 yr, with a range
from 49 to 77 yr."

however

"Anesthetists in the British National Health System have excesses in
both ill-health and normal, early-age retirements (43).
Within the British National Health System as of 1997,
the median retirement age for anesthesiologists was
53.4 yr, as compared with 56.6 yr for other doctors."

So when Hillary Rodham Clinton socializes medicine, many doctors will choose to retire.


from;

http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/reprint/92/6/1487.pdf

Issues of Concern for the Aging Anesthesiologist
Jonathan D. Katz, MD

"Retirement
Anesthesiology, similar to other high-stress practices,
is regarded by many as a young person's specialty. In
general, anesthesiologists retire at a younger age than
do physicians in other specialties (43,44). Anesthetists
in the British National Health System have excesses in
both ill-health and normal, early-age retirements (43).
Within the British National Health System as of 1997,
the median retirement age for anesthesiologists was
53.4 yr, as compared with 56.6 yr for other doctors

The largest number of ASA members in the year
2000 was between the ages of 35 and 44 yr (37%) (3);
26% were ages 55 yr or older (a transient but large
increase in the number of anesthesia residents during
the mid- and late 1980s has skewed the age demographics
toward younger anesthesiologists). Among retirees in
Connecticut, anesthesiologists were grouped within
those specialties characterized by younger retirements
(64–67 yr), in contrast to specialties such as dermatology
and psychiatry, in which the age of retirement ranged
from 70 to 74 yr (44).
We2 found the average age of retirement among
American anesthesiologists to be 64.1 yr, with a range
from 49 to 77 yr. A number of factors influenced
retirement age, but the most significant was defined
by the nature of the individual's practice. Those in
private practice retired younger (age 62.5 yr) as compared
with anesthesiologists in university practice
(64.8 yr).
The decision to retire from the practice of anesthesiology
is complex. A number of considerations—professional
and personal—play a role in this monumental
career move. In our study (32) of recently retired
anesthesiologists, we found that "demands of night
call," "demands of work load," "burnout," and "economic
factors" were the most frequently cited reasons
for retirement. Travis et al. (31) point out that the
majority of anesthesiologists retired when they "felt it
was time" on the basis of a number of subjective
observations."