Columbia SC

[Planktonmd]

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VA Job

Physician - Anesthesiology

This position is eligible for Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000)...

www.usajobs.gov

 

[amyl]

Columbia pays pretty well elsewhere from what I understand. Idk why anyone would take this job at the VA.
660k base salary for experienced people with Prisma in Columbia with 10 weeks vacation sounds better

 

[Planktonmd]

Amy,
The federal government cannot currently exceed $400,000 salary cap, but the benefits package is amazing and the life/work balance is not even close to the misery of the private sector. You get a pension (no one else gets a pension these days), a well matched retirement account, an incredible healthcare insurance and many other things. You even get union represetation and real rights so no one can fire you or discriminate against you without due process. Of course you can go make more at Prisma but you will work all night when you are on call and do trauma, labor epidurals, and C sections all night. At the VA you also get to practice real medicine and do what's right for the patient and no surgeon or CEO can bully you into cutting corners to make more money. The salary is not everything but I know that new grads don't undersatnd that and only see the number. In reality if you are a young resident I don't think you should start your career at the VA, go work hard and experience private practice, I did that for 16 years before I saw the light when private equity became our employer. The VA is definitly a viable option for those out of residency 10 years or more and understand life priorities.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

Amy,
The federal government cannot currently exceed $400,000 salary cap, but the benefits package is amazing and the life/work balance is not even close to the misery of the private sector. You get a pension (no one else gets a pension these days), a well matched retirement account, an incredible healthcare insurance and many other things. You even get union represetation and real rights so no one can fire you or discriminate against you without due process. Of course you can go make more at Prisma but you will work all night when you are on call and do trauma, labor epidurals, and C sections all night. At the VA you also get to practice real medicine and do what's right for the patient and no surgeon or CEO can bully you into cutting corners to make more money. The salary is not everything but I know that new grads don't undersatnd that and only see the number. In reality if you are a young resident I don't think you should start your career at the VA, go work hard and experience private practice, I did that for 16 years before I saw the light when private equity became our employer. The VA is definitly a viable option for those out of residency 10 years or more and understand life priorities.

They cant pay you more than the 400k salary cap, however, they are able to provide you annual rertention bonuses and incentives to bring it up to par. They just choose not to do so.

 

[aneftp]

Amy,
The federal government cannot currently exceed $400,000 salary cap, but the benefits package is amazing and the life/work balance is not even close to the misery of the private sector. You get a pension (no one else gets a pension these days), a well matched retirement account, an incredible healthcare insurance and many other things. You even get union represetation and real rights so no one can fire you or discriminate against you without due process. Of course you can go make more at Prisma but you will work all night when you are on call and do trauma, labor epidurals, and C sections all night. At the VA you also get to practice real medicine and do what's right for the patient and no surgeon or CEO can bully you into cutting corners to make more money. The salary is not everything but I know that new grads don't undersatnd that and only see the number. In reality if you are a young resident I don't think you should start your career at the VA, go work hard and experience private practice, I did that for 16 years before I saw the light when private equity became our employer. The VA is definitly a viable option for those out of residency 10 years or more and understand life priorities.

The VA has its pros and cons.

The pension (/annuity)is not that good anymore the way it’s structured outside of immediate retirement after 5 years/age 62 with fully subsidized healthcare

By this I mean after Jan 1 2014. New employees are contributing POST TAX AND close to 6X (4.4%) more than POST TAX MORE than those hired before Dec 31 2012 (0.8%). And the worst kicker is the fers (the pension) is MOSTLY TAXABLE for your lifetime. Your POST TAX contribution is not taxable but the govt spreads out the non taxable portion over the lifetime you collect.

Meaning you gotta live close to 20 years in retirement just to reclaim all your post tax money tax free.

That’s why it makes sense for most older doctors to go into the VA around age 55/57. Becuase the pension is an after thought but that immediate retirement gives you the subsidized healthcare for life. If you work at VA from age 30-40. Yes you are vested after 5 years. But you will not get the subsidized healthcare when you start collecting it at age 62.

And all the post tax contributions you put in over those years. Most likely you would have been better off investing in the stock market and get a greater return on your investment. AND TAXED LESS when you cash out

“The vast majority of your FERS annuity will be federally taxable. You will not be taxed on the portion of your FERS annuity that is due to your already taxed contributions but, because you recoup your contributions bit by bit over your life expectancy, most of your FERS annuity is taxed”

The govt wants you to die before you recoup all your post tax contributions you made. It used to be post tax money came out first when you started collecting. Now it’s spread over the expected lifetime of your pension collection.

How Your FERS, Social Security and TSP Payments Get Taxed

How is your retirement income, specifically your FERS annuity, Social Security, and TSP withdrawals, taxed for federal income tax purposes? The taxable

www.fedweek.com

 

[aneftp]

Most people at the VA I know fit these categories
1. Doctor Moms (and some single younger dads) with young kids who need fixed hours/lifestyle to fit family needs)

2. Military docs doing the conversion
3. Older docs winding down their careers for immediate pension /healthcare after age 62
4. Really bad docs who can’t survive in the private sector

Outside of those 4 criteria. Most anesthesia docs ages 30-55 really shouldn’t consider the VA unless a leadership opportunity is awaiting them. It’s the move up and out mentality if you want to join the VA and get into leadership.

Yes student loan forgiveness is a factor but the way the loan forgiveness rules have changed the last 15 plus years. It’s less strict to get loan forgiveness work at other non profit 501c as hospital employees and get paid 20-40% more for the same benefit. And some hospital employed healthcare is just as good as the federal healthcare.

 

[amyl]

Amy,
The federal government cannot currently exceed $400,000 salary cap, but the benefits package is amazing and the life/work balance is not even close to the misery of the private sector. You get a pension (no one else gets a pension these days), a well matched retirement account, an incredible healthcare insurance and many other things. You even get union represetation and real rights so no one can fire you or discriminate against you without due process. Of course you can go make more at Prisma but you will work all night when you are on call and do trauma, labor epidurals, and C sections all night. At the VA you also get to practice real medicine and do what's right for the patient and no surgeon or CEO can bully you into cutting corners to make more money. The salary is not everything but I know that new grads don't undersatnd that and only see the number. In reality if you are a young resident I don't think you should start your career at the VA, go work hard and experience private practice, I did that for 16 years before I saw the light when private equity became our employer. The VA is definitly a viable option for those out of residency 10 years or more and understand life priorities.

Fair enough, maybe I’ll call you in a few years
🙂
I do think our veterans deserve top notch care and would like taking care of them.
Im slightly bored in my current job…. I miss the traumas, big cases and transplants a little… But not sure I want to be up ALL night -
I keep reminding myself it’s good for my health to be bored…. But miss the adrenaline stuff a little… getting scuba certified… maybe that will do it.

 

[Twiggidy]

But miss the adrenaline stuff a little… getting scuba certified… maybe that will do it.

this part…there’s other ways to find your kicks than with an ortho who just HAD to do that 100 year old hip tonight

 

[ProwlerturnGas]

I practiced for a short time at a VA. I absolutely loved the Veterans, as I am one also. But damn, the crnas were toxic AF. Absolutely no way I would work at a VA now. I learned my lesson.

 

[amyl]

Toxic as in like they treated you like you were unnecessary? Passive aggressive? Openly rude?

 

[ProwlerturnGas]

Toxic as in like they treated you like you were unnecessary? Passive aggressive? Openly rude?

Yes

 

[muthusak]

VA Job

Physician - Anesthesiology

This position is eligible for Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000)...

www.usajobs.gov

VA Job

Physician - Anesthesiology

This position is eligible for Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000)...

www.usajobs.gov

VA jobs are unique. They do provide a better work life balance than private and academic sectors.
yes pay is an issue. I have maxed out all my staff to $400k and give them a 25% retention bonus. One of my colleagues left us to join a private practice. He makes $650k, but works 55-60 hours. that's $208-227/hour. At the VA our average rate is $240/hour. Go figure. We are the second most productive anesthesia group in the nation. We do hearts, lungs and complex vascular in addition to the regular cases. Rewarding form a career standpoint, the patients standpoint( extremely grateful patients with no sense of privilege). When you look at the hourly rate and the stress, you may actually make the same hourly rate with a reduced stress level. If you are young you can moonlight after hours and weekends to supplement your income. Pretty soon you can moonlight in the VA after hours. Legislation was just passed. Not to mention the benefits and leaves. There are always drawbacks to any system. A system is as good as the people using it. There is still a fair amount of red tape and bureaucracy, but that is limited to the supervisory staff. The VA system has recently increased accountability from its employees. You have to perform.
Check the VA out.

 

[cchoukal]

VA jobs are unique. They do provide a better work life balance than private and academic sectors.
yes pay is an issue. I have maxed out all my staff to $400k and give them a 25% retention bonus. One of my colleagues left us to join a private practice. He makes $650k, but works 55-60 hours. that's $208-227/hour. At the VA our average rate is $240/hour. Go figure. We are the second most productive anesthesia group in the nation. We do hearts, lungs and complex vascular in addition to the regular cases. Rewarding form a career standpoint, the patients standpoint( extremely grateful patients with no sense of privilege). When you look at the hourly rate and the stress, you may actually make the same hourly rate with a reduced stress level. If you are young you can moonlight after hours and weekends to supplement your income. Pretty soon you can moonlight in the VA after hours. Legislation was just passed. Not to mention the benefits and leaves. There are always drawbacks to any system. A system is as good as the people using it. There is still a fair amount of red tape and bureaucracy, but that is limited to the supervisory staff. The VA system has recently increased accountability from its employees. You have to perform.
Check the VA out.

If my old VA job could actually get the max +25%, that’d be the easiest and best job on the planet. Not sure how you moonlight (legally) though, as the physician tour of duty is supposedly infinite, and you can’t bill Medicare elsewhere while on tour.

 

[muthusak]

If my old VA job could actually get the max +25%, that’d be the easiest and best job on the planet. Not sure how you moonlight (legally) though, as the physician tour of duty is supposedly infinite, and you can’t bill Medicare elsewhere while on tour.

Under the new Elizabeth Dole Act, one can have a dual appointment. A regular tour with the $400k and a per diem tour for after ours and weekend coverage. Guidance on this is still forth coming, but it will be in place soon.