Demand for ED docs

[indymed]

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I'm just getting started with secondaries so I have some time, even so, I'd like some opinions on whether there is a significant demand for EM docs. Residency slots? DO med students getting these slots? I am definetly interested in pursuing that route. Although money isn't my driving factor, how much do EM docs normally make?

 

[Apollyon]

1. Demand? Increasing
2. DO's? I think it's about 5% of MD EM spots per year (plus the DO EM programs). QuinnNSU and DocWagner are two of the DO folks on this board that immediately come to mind.
3. Pay? Can range from $140000 per year for academics, to ~$300K/year in some of the most rural, desolate areas in the US. But there is great variability. Big cities (NYC,SF,LA) pay less, 'cause everyone wants to be there.

Since you do indeed have a long time, a lot of this could fluctuate in the next several years! 😉

 

[Sheerstress]

I'd like some opinions on whether there is a significant demand for EM docs.

Like Apollyon says, it's mostly a distribution problem. Jobs that are close to urban areas tend to be more popular among physicians of any specialty. You can make a lot of money working in the middle of nowhere, or slightly less the closer you get to the cities.

Another issue is that of who is staffing these EDs. There are approximately 35,000 ED positions out there in the US, but only about 15,000 physicians who are specifically Emergency Medicine residency-trained. The rest are staffed by IM or FP practitioners who fill in where no one else will. It will be a very gradual process. but ACEP and the other specialty bodies would like to see more and more of their own graduates filling up these jobs.

 

[DrQuinn]

Apollyon is close, but no cigar. A recent article in the Annals of EM state that 8% of EM residents are DOs (whoopee!).


Q, DO

 

[indymed]

Thats interesting, I would have thought that alot more DOs would be in emergency medicine, especially with so many DOs being generalists. For those going through ER residency, are you able to compete/outcompete MDs? Do you know more/less? Differences in the way you approach patients from your MD colleagues?

 

[DrQuinn]

Originally posted by indymed
Thats interesting, I would have thought that alot more DOs would be in emergency medicine, especially with so many DOs being generalists. For those going through ER residency, are you able to compete/outcompete MDs? Do you know more/less? Differences in the way you approach patients from your MD colleagues?

I do'nt know if its about competing/outcompeting my fellow colleagues. There are six of us at my residency, and there is another DO besides myself, (he did a traditional internship before coming... I am straight outta schoo). I think we all have our strengths and weaknesses, we all come with different experience. I would say we are all on the same field (albeit the two with previous training, a flight surgeon and a ped/im attending have more obviously). I may be better at reading EKGs but one of my colleagues may be more adept at recreational gynecology.

I am up to snuff with my colleagues and likely the majority of other PGY-1s that are straight out of medical school... MD or DO.

Q, DO

 

[robinhudster]

Quinn, there's a peds/IM attending starting an EM residency at your program? Wow, that's an interesting CV.

 

[DrQuinn]

Yeah, he's a complete bad-ass.

He wanted to become board certified in EM because he saw what happened to physicians who worked in the ED who were not board certified. In the urban/suburban arena, if you are not board certified in EM (or were not grand-fathered in), good luck finding a job. If you do find a job, prepare to be bitch-boy for the rest of your career. You will also be in jeopardy of losing your job to ABEM certified or eligible physicians as well.

Atleast, that's what he tells me.

He worked in Ped/Adult ED's for several years, before deciding to finally get the proper training.

Q, DO