Call situation

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Picking up lots of call since I just finished fellowship this summer and I've got some financial goals that are taking priority. Gave up some vacation as well. Doubt I'll continue giving up vacation in the future, but I will continue picking up shifts for a few years. Still finding the balance. Have had a couple weeks where I definitely picked up more than I want to do in the future. I feel like working 55-65 hours is about right for me right now. More than 70 is starting to be too much for my liking. (Did ~100 one week last month. Will not repeat).
 
dabears505 said:
How many of you are picking up extra call vs selling call?

If you're selling, at what age did you start to do so?
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I don’t really have any required calls these days. But I just sell off my shifts for 2k cash per 8 hours. So I can make 10k elsewhere to pickup an extra 24 hr call weekday.

That’s what you call playing 4D chess my friends.

Keep the guaranteed w2 daytime job. Make extra cash on the side 1099. Best of both worlds.

But my friends at other practices migrate to no calls in mid 50s. It’s a big hit in their income if private practice (30-40% cut)

But if u work for hospital based w2. It’s really only a 10% cut most times. The no calls

The women anesthesiologist/
tend to retire earlier as well (if duo income)
 
Wished our call stipends were worth more or else I would be picking up more. Currently our 24 OB in-house call is less than $50/hour (although we do get units from production). Not worth it if one only does one or two epidurals in a 24hr period. Similar rate to OR call as well.
 
People that don’t want to take call usually sell it for cash in our group. Otherwise it’s not fair. Our call isn’t that busy. Even with the call units and rvus from cases done during call it’s often more lucrative to work two non call days than a call and have lost call day off.
 
Simba1711 said:
People that don’t want to take call usually sell it for cash in our group. Otherwise it’s not fair. Our call isn’t that busy. Even with the call units and rvus from cases done during call it’s often more lucrative to work two non call days than a call and have lost call day off.
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Sell as in - the person taking call gets paid normally for whatever the call pays AND a payment from whomever sold it?
 
Yeah person selling it gives money. The person taking call gets the call units plus the Rvus generated from the or cases.
 
I’m trying to get more compensated call, but seems as it’s not as available within my group, thinking of doing locums on the side to supplement

But I worry these locums jobs you don’t know what you are getting sometimes would prefer to just work more for my W2
 
Early/mid 30s. I pick up 5-10 extra calls per year. Calls are well compensated so partners that don’t want to take call for any reason have no trouble unloading them on those of us looking to make a little extra.
 
Beeftenderloin said:
Early/mid 30s. I pick up 5-10 extra calls per year. Calls are well compensated so partners that don’t want to take call for any reason have no trouble unloading them on those of us looking to make a little extra.
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The beauty of the partnership. Make the young ones take their calls. And if it’s a long buy in. They get that 20- 30% of what you make that 16/24 hour period.
 
I always hated call and gave it away often from day one. We revalued our call stipend not long ago and now I just take it most of the time. I believe the whole call/late package is 25% now. It’s overvalued in my opinion, especially with the call morning and post call day off. We actually increased the value to try to make it easier to get people to want to swap and pick up available shifts, which was becoming harder in recent years. Guess what? The young guns still don’t care and nobody’s jumping in to pick stuff up even at ~2x the money. Though I think we are all overworked with a pretty sick patient base. That doesn’t help.
 
IlDestriero said:
I always hated call and gave it away often from day one. We revalued our call stipend not long ago and now I just take it most of the time. I believe the whole call/late package is 25% now. It’s overvalued in my opinion, especially with the call morning and post call day off. We actually increased the value to try to make it easier to get people to want to swap and pick up available shifts, which was becoming harder in recent years. Guess what? The young guns still don’t care and nobody’s jumping in to pick stuff up even at ~2x the money. Though I think we are all overworked with a pretty sick patient base. That doesn’t help.
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If no one is picking it up when people try to offload it, then it's still undervalued.
 
aneftp said:
The beauty of the partnership. Make the young ones take their calls. And if it’s a long buy in. They get that 20- 30% of what you make that 16/24 hour period.
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We’re actually employed now. Everyone makes the same (peds/cardiac stipends excluded) and is allocated the same number of calls. Most docs are making as much from base pay as an employee as they were from our total package as a private group (after 3 straight years of cuts and no stipend). So for anyone in the group sick of call, it’s a no brainer to get rid of them.

IlDestriero said:
I always hated call and gave it away often from day one. We revalued our call stipend not long ago and now I just take it most of the time. I believe the whole call/late package is 25% now. It’s overvalued in my opinion, especially with the call morning and post call day off. We actually increased the value to try to make it easier to get people to want to swap and pick up available shifts, which was becoming harder in recent years. Guess what? The young guns still don’t care and nobody’s jumping in to pick stuff up even at ~2x the money. Though I think we are all overworked with a pretty sick patient base. That doesn’t help.
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PpfSuxTube said:
We have a very different system. Ppl fight for call
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Call is about 30% of our comp. They’re in high demand when they come up. We actually had to start randomizing those interested when they come up because too many people want them and everyone wants equitable access. If it’s valued right, people will take them.
 
we have a very different system. no one fights for call, and not many bother trying to give it away, bc no one will take it, bc its part of your salary
 
anbuitachi said:
we have a very different system. no one fights for call, and not many bother trying to give it away, bc no one will take it, bc its part of your salary
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We had that at one place I worked. Over the years it was actually counter productive as it prolonged the old timers career way past their sell by date
 
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