Derm or plastics?

[Tina Sheen]

Please don't flame as I'm doing medicine, but we were having a discussion in the resident lounge today about which specialty - derm or plastics - can make the most money.

As someone not doing either, I haven't the slightest clue. I was just curious from a pure greed perspective (and, undoubtedly, this does exist) which specialty will yield better results.

Anyone from derm or plastics ever given this some thought?

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[Terpskins99]

You should ask this in either the derm or plastics forums. On average, I'd have to say plastics. Easily.

But lifestyle wise, derm is extremely cush. Its one of the major reasons the specialty is so popular.

If money is what drives you, be a spine surgeon and make a killing.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Whichever has the largest cash practice.

If you do aesthetic derm or plastics/medi-spa stuff, you'll make more than any insurance work.

 

[asmallchild]

I'd agree with the poster who suggested spine.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'd agree with the poster who suggested spine.

Spine is misleading. You have to spend many more years before you get to the point where you are making the really big bucks, and the time value of money is huge. In general the path that gets you there quickest are more lucrative from a finance point of view.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

I'm going to say derm. Don't know about the reimbursements, but it seems that plastics has to go through a long and rigorous residency, there's more responsibility and complications, and probably the day is packed with cases.

Spine? Both ortho and neurosurg are long and tough residencies.

With derm, if you really wanted to, you could probably run clinic every day from 8 to 8 and make a killing. Add in the shorter residency with the opportunity of a cush transitional year, the less serious/complicated nature of the work, and the opportunity to do a highly lucrative dermatopathology fellowship (these guys are often the best paid individual at a medical center), I'd say derm.

However, that can all change if reimbursements are changed and the economy tanks, so it only holds for the present, not necessarily the future.

 

[asmallchild]

However, that can all change if reimbursements are changed and the economy tanks, so it only holds for the present, not necessarily the future.

Let's hope not

😛

As an aside, I'm kicking myself now for not opting for the cush TY.

 

[Long Dong]

I agree with the other poster above who said derm path, been told it's the highest $/time ratio in all of medicine.

Here is something I posted before and well repost it here.

So there was always this hype about Leboit at UCSF pulling 2 million a year doing dermpath. http://www.tuitionreliefnow.org/camp...s/press_extra/

Now it's all about Silvers at Columbia pulling 5 million a year. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...tops_nonp.html

 

[Terpskins99]

Spine is misleading. You have to spend many more years before you get to the point where you are making the really big bucks, and the time value of money is huge. In general the path that gets you there quickest are more lucrative from a finance point of view.

Compared with derm, I suppose.

But plastics and ortho are both 5 years. Spine is typically a 1 year fellowship, and many plastic surgeons likewise pursue fellowships themselves.

From what I hear, junior attending plastic surgeons are frequently relegated to lower-compensated responsibilities of a group practice such as trauma-call.

Btw, dong-boy... neither link is working.

 

[Long Dong]

Btw, dong-boy... neither link is working.

Yeah it was from and old post of mine I just cut and pasted it and didn't check the link. Here is some new links about the UCSF dermpath pulling 2 mil a year. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/08/11/daily31.html

And the Columbia dermpath pulling 5 mil a year. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local...columbia_dermatology_professor_tops_nonp.html

 

[Slack3r]

But plastics and ortho are both 5 years.

Integrated plastics is 3+3. They're phasing out the 3+2 model, I believe. And since all models are going to 3 years of plastics, I think the Gsurg path is now 5+3.

A guy running a fully cosmetic practice in a wealthy area can pull $1mil+ in plastics. At least from my experiences with the few I've met/shadowed. But I guess derm has the potential to make with a boutique cosmetic practice, AND their residency is shorter.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Integrated plastics is 3+3. They're phasing out the 3+2 model, I believe. And since all models are going to 3 years of plastics, I think the Gsurg path is now 5+3.

You are correct. No more 3+2 programs and the Integrated programs are exceedingly competitive, so one should not assume they won't be doing 5+3.

 

[Slack3r]

How do you stay involved with a significant other/friends (but mainly the S.O.) working 80+ hours a week for 8 years? That scares me more than actually working the 80 hours. 🙁

 

[BobA]

The NBA is really where you want to be to make the big money. Guaranteed contracts + lucrative endorsements. New York and LA are probably the best markets, too.

 

[asmallchild]

San Antonio isn't all that bad either if you don't mind cutting back on the endorsements 🙂

 

[What the pho]

You guys got it all twisted. Porn makes the most money. Now all I need is those ID guys to find a cure for HIV, I'll then get the plastics guys to give me a member inplant, Rx myself some viagra, and go into porn. I'll freeze my own genital warts if I get some from doing prono stars. Until then I'll be happy just hanging out with strippers and porn stars who need their genital warts treated.

 

[Winged Scapula]

You guys got it all twisted. Porn makes the most money. Now all I need is those ID guys to find a cure for HIV, I'll then get the plastics guys to give me a member inplant, Rx myself some viagra, and go into porn. I'll freeze my own genital warts if I get some from doing prono stars. Until then I'll be happy just hanging out with strippers and porn stars who need their genital warts treated.

Sorry to burst your bubble but MALE porn stars don't make that much money. That, stripping and modeling are one of the few fields where the females make substantially more.

Look into getting yourself a gender reassignment (male to female) if you want to make more money; otherwise stay in Derm or PRS because you'll make more as a male physician in those fields than as a porn actor.

 

[SocialistMD]

...you'll make more as a male physician in those fields than as a porn actor.

I think this makes the "money isn't everything" point better than anything else posted on SDN. 😉

 

[smq123]

Sorry to burst your bubble but MALE porn stars don't make that much money. That, stripping and modeling are one of the few fields where the females make substantially more.

Not to mention the relatively more difficult nature of the work for male porn stars.

Unlike women, men have to...um...get certain parts of their body (and the corresponding physiological reactions) to cooperate with the filming schedule. It's a lot more difficult to be a male porn star than it is to be a female porn star - and you get paid much less ($40K vs. $> 100K for a woman).

Gay porn is supposedly more lucrative, but that's a whole other discussion entirely. As SocialistMD said, "money isn't everything." 😉 😀

 

[asmallchild]

This conversation has taken a very odd turn.

 

[What the pho]

Look into getting yourself a gender reassignment (male to female) if you want to make more money; otherwise stay in Derm or PRS because you'll make more as a male physician in those fields than as a porn actor.

Now that's an idea I could do the whole lesbian trapped in a mans body thing. It could be promoted as WTpho the Trisexual (try anything) transgender. Then I could get in as porn actor/actress and work my way to get in as director/producer where the real money is at. I would have to personally try each actress on the casting couch, though.

I think this makes the "money isn't everything" point better than anything else posted on SDN. 😉

Yeap couldn't get paid doing what I love (porn), so ended up doing what I like which allows me to hang with the people I love, prono stars, zapping there genital warts and treating their HSV.

 

[michaelrack]

Yeap couldn't get paid doing what I love (porn), so ended up doing what I like which allows me to hang with the people I love, prono stars, zapping there genital warts and treating their HSV.

I'm sure you could qualify to be a "fluffer" for gay male porn films.

 

[What the pho]

I'm sure you could qualify to be a "fluffer" for gay male porn films.

Hey if that's what you dream about at night then by all means, trying to project your life long fantasy on to others, I'm not mad at you.

 

[michaelrack]

Hey if that's what you dream about at night then by all means, trying to project your life long fantasy on to others, I'm not mad at you.

sorry, I made a bad joke.

 

[radslooking]

thank you for making this thread interesting. it had all the signs of crashing and burning, but you guys kept it interesting. Nice work. 🙂

 

[What the pho]

sorry, I made a bad joke.

Hey I was just joking to, no worries.

thank you for making this thread interesting. it had all the signs of crashing and burning, but you guys kept it interesting. Nice work. 🙂

You think this thread is interesting go to this one and check out the ego fest going on there were derm vs plastics colide: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=606775

I'm telling ya'll I got jokes for days, actually put a week on it.

 

[doc4life95]

You should ask this in either the derm or plastics forums. On average, I'd have to say plastics. Easily.

But lifestyle wise, derm is extremely cush. Its one of the major reasons the specialty is so popular.

If money is what drives you, be a spine surgeon and make a killing.

what is your opinion on pysch for the money issue?