Be careful switching careers for the wrong reasons!

[ReMD]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I would be very careful with your decision to transfer out of one specialty and into another esp for reasons such as lifestyle and money. There's one thing about medicine that we all should know, and that is that everything goes in cycles. Anesthesia had its bad times and may see those days again. Ob/Gyn is dealing with all the liability stuff but I'm sure that will pass with time (it has too or the community won't tolerate it). Some may be discouraged now but most specialties they're in will eventually allow them the diversity to expand. For example, Ob/Gyns are now incorporating cosmetics into their practices (lipo, botox, breast implants, etc). They see women all day, so why woudn't they. Internists and FPs are doing pain injections and imaging studies to fatten their wallets. The list goes on and on. You can't have this type of diversity in a non-patient oriented field such as Anes, Rads, or Path. They make good $$ now but, believe me, this will change and there will be limited ways to supplement their income. Not all Anes want to do critical care or go back for a pain fellowship once in practice for a while. Plus they will have to get referrals and, primary care docs/orthopods aren't that willing to give up these $$ making procedures anymore. Just some words to the wise! "Those that control the patients are the ones IN CONTROL".

 

[CambieMD]

I would be very careful with your decision to transfer out of one specialty and into another esp for reasons such as lifestyle and money. There's one thing about medicine that we all should know, and that is that everything goes in cycles. Anesthesia had its bad times and may see those days again. Ob/Gyn is dealing with all the liability stuff but I'm sure that will pass with time (it has too or the community won't tolerate it). Some may be discouraged now but most specialties they're in will eventually allow them the diversity to expand. For example, Ob/Gyns are now incorporating cosmetics into their practices (lipo, botox, breast implants, etc). They see women all day, so why woudn't they. Internists and FPs are doing pain injections and imaging studies to fatten their wallets. The list goes on and on. You can't have this type of diversity in a non-patient oriented field such as Anes, Rads, or Path. They make good $$ now but, believe me, this will change and there will be limited ways to supplement their income. Not all Anes want to do critical care or go back for a pain fellowship once in practice for a while. Plus they will have to get referrals and, primary care docs/orthopods aren't that willing to give up these $$ making procedures anymore. Just some words to the wise! "Those that control the patients are the ones IN CONTROL".

I think that some people may switch specialties mainly for money and lifestyle. Most of us do so for reasons much more complex than that. I for one have grown tired of dealing with ever increasing red tape. The cumbersome system that we have now often puts pcps at odds with their patients . They think that their doc is preventing them from getting this medication or that treatment. The relationship between physician and patient is becoming increasingly adversarial(sp?). I could go on and on. The bottom line for me is that I did not go to medical and spend 100k to become a glorified social worker or secretary. Obviously, we all know the cyclical nature of medicine. The only specialties for which that doesn't apply is primary care. Primary care has never really been very popular. There was a lot of hype in the 90s' but that did not last long. I can bet you that primary care specialties will do even worse in the match this year. Those who own the patient owns all of their issues as well.
All of the financial burden has been transferred to physicians.
I have not heard anyone mention giving physicians a financial incentive to get an EMR system. No one has attempted to argue that EMR will increase a docs' bottom line. I can mention HIPPA, also.

I saw myself facing twenty- five more years of crap or jumping form a sinking ship.

I could get into things like the division of labor and impact of the internet on the practice of medicine but I have to go to my office to see patients.

Most people who switched gave it a lot of thought.

CambieMD

 

[VentdependenT]

I think that some people may switch specialties mainly for money and lifestyle most of us do so reasons much more complex than that. I for one have grown tired of dealing with ever increasing red tape. The cumbersome system that we have now often puts pcps at odds with their patients . They think that their doc is preventing them from getting this medication or that treatment. The relationship between physician and patient is becoming increasingly adversarial(sp?). I could go on and on. The bottom line for me is that I did not go to medical and spend 100k to become a glorified social worker or secretary. Obviously, we all know the cyclical nature of medicine. The only specialties for which that doesn't apply is primary care. Primary care has never really been very popular. There was a lot of hype in the 90s' but that did not last long. I can bet you that primary care specialties will do even worse in the match this year. Those who own the patient owns all of their issues as well.
All of the financial burden has been transferred to physicians.
I have not heard anyone mention giving physicians a financial incentive to get an EMR system. No one has attempted to argue that EMR will increase a docs' bottom line. I can mention HIPPA, also.

I saw myself facing twenty- five more years of crap or jumping form a sinking ship.

I could get into things like the division of labor and impact of the internet on the practice of medicine but I have to go to my office to see patients.

Most people who switched gave it a lot of thought.

CambieMD

Well stated.

 

[MS3NavyFS2B]

I think that some people may switch specialties mainly for money and lifestyle most of us do so reasons much more complex than that. I for one have grown tired of dealing with ever increasing red tape. The cumbersome system that we have now often puts pcps at odds with their patients . They think that their doc is preventing them from getting this medication or that treatment. The relationship between physician and patient is becoming increasingly adversarial(sp?). I could go on and on. The bottom line for me is that I did not go to medical and spend 100k to become a glorified social worker or secretary. Obviously, we all know the cyclical nature of medicine. The only specialties for which that doesn't apply is primary care. Primary care has never really been very popular. There was a lot of hype in the 90s' but that did not last long. I can bet you that primary care specialties will do even worse in the match this year. Those who own the patient owns all of their issues as well.
All of the financial burden has been transferred to physicians.
I have not heard anyone mention giving physicians a financial incentive to get an EMR system. No one has attempted to argue that EMR will increase a docs' bottom line. I can mention HIPPA, also.

I saw myself facing twenty- five more years of crap or jumping form a sinking ship.

I could get into things like the division of labor and impact of the internet on the practice of medicine but I have to go to my office to see patients.

Most people who switched gave it a lot of thought.

CambieMD

I'm having trouble determining the meaning of the first sentence..."I think that some people may switch specialties mainly for money and lifestyle most of us do so reasons much more complex than that."

 

[Test Boy]

I'm having trouble determining the meaning of the first sentence..."I think that some people may switch specialties mainly for money and lifestyle most of us do so reasons much more complex than that."

he meant "i think that some people may switch specialties mainly for the money and lifestyle. however, most of us do so for reasons much more complex than that."

 

[CambieMD]

Hi,
I edited my previous post. I hope that my point is clearer, now.

CambieMD

 

[GeddyLee]

For example, Ob/Gyns are now incorporating cosmetics into their practices (lipo, botox, breast implants, etc). They see women all day, so why woudn't they. Internists and FPs are doing pain injections and imaging studies to fatten their wallets.

Yeah, you hear of this happening. Dentists doing botox. A random dude in Florida doing breast implants. I suppose anyone could do it. I would hope most patients are savvy enough to realize that cosmetic surgery should be done by board certified plastic surgeons though. I'm also sure FPs and Internists probably do some pain procedures as well, but they aren't going to ever do the procedures a pain specialist is trained for.

Either way, I can't ever imagine a scenario where primary care would be more lucrative or exciting than anesthesia. Besides, most people choose gas for pretty solid reasons. It's not the highest paying specialty, and there are much better lifestyle specialties. I guess there's something more to it than that.