Avg. ED Doc Shelf Life?

[BetaXeta]

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I'm an older non-trad (a 34 yr-old MS1), and I'm starting to develop an interest in emergency medicine.

I was wondering where do ED docs go to pasture? There don't seem to be a lot of older ED docs around the ED, so I wondering... at what age range do ED docs seem to phase out of shift work in the ED, and what jobs do older ED docs take after they stop doing shift work?

Thanks!

 

[margaritaboy]

0.2 seconds.

 

[deleted109597]

They often just turn to dust. An EP not in the ED is just wasting away.

 

[margaritaboy]

I'm an older non-trad (a 34 yr-old MS1), and I'm starting to develop an interest in emergency medicine.

I was wondering where do ED docs go to pasture? There don't seem to be a lot of older ED docs around the ED, so I wondering... at what age range do ED docs seem to phase out of shift work in the ED, and what jobs do older ED docs take after they stop doing shift work?

Thanks!

To be totally fair, I think EM is a relatively new and youg specialty. In the past, ERs were staffed by doctors of differnet specialties (or who weren't residency trained at all) that were moonlighting. They may have burned out or moved on for a variety of different reasons before they got older. Now however, people make a positive choice to go into EM, and I'm not sure what the burnout rate will be among them. I personally do not think EM to be more demanding than say, general surgery. But it probably falls short of the lifestyle you would find in dermatology.

Any seasoned EM docs what to weigh in with an opinion?

 

[WilcoWorld]

Just to expound a little on Margaritaboy's points...

The first EM residency was founded in 1970, just 36 years ago. So, assuming a 3 year training period, the longest any residency-trained EP has been practicing is 33 years. Consider the facts that the 1st class was just ONE person (Bruce Janiak) but that now over a thousand EPs finish residency annually, and it's not surprising that the vast majority of EPs you see are young.

 

[lucky_deadman]

I think that several EPs are like myself in that we've consumed more than our fair share of twinkies and other junk food. Therefore we have more than enough preservatives to last well into the next century. 😀

But to be on the serious side, one nice thing about EM is that you can still pick up the occasional shift almost until you die. So although you may "retire" you never hang up the stethoscope for good. I think that the age that you do phase yourself out depends largely on your finances. Some must work to stay above water, while others can retire at a young age and enjoy thier other interests.

 

[deleted109597]

Just to expound a little on Margaritaboy's points...

The first EM residency was founded in 1970, just 36 years ago. So, assuming a 3 year training period, the longest any residency-trained EP has been practicing is 33 years. Consider the facts that the 1st class was just ONE person (Bruce Janiak) but that now over a thousand EPs finish residency annually, and it's not surprising that the vast majority of EPs you see are young.

And Bruce still works in EM. He's at MCG now.

 

[NinerNiner999]

I'm guessing my shelf life is somewhere between canned peas and beef jerky...

 

[basementbeastie]

I'm guessing my shelf life is somewhere between canned peas and beef jerky...

hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm............beef jerky......

 

[wook]

And Bruce still works in EM. He's at MCG now.

And he still works shift as well as doing administrative stuff. I would also add that he is still funny as heck.



Wook

 

[Febrifuge]

For what it's worth, I know a 50-something staff doc who's way more fun and obnoxious (in a good way) than the residents. His shelf life is likely the same as a Marshmallow Peep's.

 

[em232002]

I don't think there's any higher burn-out in EM than any other specialty. In the old days, when EM was not a specialty, the ER docs were disenchanted physicians trained in other specialties (gsurg, IM, FP), thus they were already "burnt out" before even changing their practice to EM.

 

[docB]

I was burnt before I started (I was a firefighter so I mean that literally and figuratively) so I don't count. Burn out is not the major factor in EM for practicing EPs. There is enough portability and variability in the profession to stave it off. Burnout is primarily an issue for medical students looking at EM.