C/L Job and Practice Prospects?

[Chimed]

Curious if anyone can give some insight into what people do with a psychosomatic fellowship.
- How difficult is it to get a full time job as a C/L psychiatrist? i.e. can one just walk into a city and expect to find a job?
- What do fellows typically do after finishing a psychosomatic fellowship?
- Are opportunities available in both private and academic centers?
- What are hours typically like?
- Salary?

Thanks!!!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Doc Samson]

Curious if anyone can give some insight into what people do with a psychosomatic fellowship.
- How difficult is it to get a full time job as a C/L psychiatrist? i.e. can one just walk into a city and expect to find a job?
- What do fellows typically do after finishing a psychosomatic fellowship?
- Are opportunities available in both private and academic centers?
- What are hours typically like?
- Salary?

Thanks!!!!

Easy to find CL work - the world of medicine is really waking up to the value of CL psychiatrists in terms of quality of care AND financial benefit for the hospital in terms of throughput, cost offset, and risk management. Finding a job was really not a problem for me. Post-fellowship I've seen graduates do all kinds of things from straight CL to mixed practices (CL + outpatient) and research. Yes, private and academic opportunities are available. Hours are 8-ish until the work is done (the feast or famine aspect of CL can have that vary from done at 10am to done at 10pm), weekend coverage is typically negotiable. Salary varies pretty broadly too. The one caveat is that I would avoid "eat what you kill" arrangements for reimbursement - insurances LOVE to deny payment for inpatient psych consults as "not medically necessary" plus the feast/famine model can make for some lean weeks. Salary is definitely the way to go.

 

[masterofmonkeys]

I have noticed that many, many academic medical centers employ non-boarded non-grandfathered psychiatrists to do their C/L work either in part or in whole. Even some of the more well known academic centers.

To tell the truth, I have absolutely no idea if this is because there simply aren't enough C/L docs to go around, or if C/L docs shy away from academic medicine (which would seem odd given the cerebral nature of the subspecialty).

 

[michaelrack]

I have noticed that many, many academic medical centers employ non-boarded non-grandfathered psychiatrists to do their C/L work either in part or in whole. Even some of the more well known academic centers.

To tell the truth, I have absolutely no idea if this is because there simply aren't enough C/L docs to go around, or if C/L docs shy away from academic medicine (which would seem odd given the cerebral nature of the subspecialty).

A good board-certified psychiatrist is able to handle most aspects of the psychiatric subspecialties: addiction, geriatrics, psychosomatics, forensics, etc. In general, subspecialty certification isn't required to practice a psychiatric specialty except for 1) sometimes academic positions, 2) often for child psychiatry, and 3) sleep medicine (because a lot of sleep medicine is non-psychiatric). Also some forensic positions require certification.

 

[Doc Samson]

A good board-certified psychiatrist is able to handle most aspects of the psychiatric subspecialties: addiction, geriatrics, psychosomatics, forensics, etc. In general, subspecialty certification isn't required to practice a psychiatric specialty except for 1) sometimes academic positions, 2) often for child psychiatry, and 3) sleep medicine (because a lot of sleep medicine is non-psychiatric). Also some forensic positions require certification.

True now, but becoming less the case. The board groups have an interest in having their certificate mean something. Insurances (as always) are looking for reasons to pay less. The overall movement is to have non-certified docs reimbursed at lower rates than those that are certified. Give it a few years, and hospitals will start favoring boarded docs because of improved rates of reimbursements and lower malpractice premiums.

 

[Chimed]

Easy to find CL work - the world of medicine is really waking up to the value of CL psychiatrists in terms of quality of care AND financial benefit for the hospital in terms of throughput, cost offset, and risk management. Finding a job was really not a problem for me. Post-fellowship I've seen graduates do all kinds of things from straight CL to mixed practices (CL + outpatient) and research. Yes, private and academic opportunities are available. Hours are 8-ish until the work is done (the feast or famine aspect of CL can have that vary from done at 10am to done at 10pm), weekend coverage is typically negotiable. Salary varies pretty broadly too. The one caveat is that I would avoid "eat what you kill" arrangements for reimbursement - insurances LOVE to deny payment for inpatient psych consults as "not medically necessary" plus the feast/famine model can make for some lean weeks. Salary is definitely the way to go.

Thanks!!!!!