ED physician shortage

[iatrosB]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I have read several reports that claim there is a shortage of emergency department physicians and it will last until 2010. What do you people in the know think of this. I know there is certainly a shortage now, but will there be a shortage for some time to come. Here's hoping 👍

 

[kinetic]

I also hope there will be a shortage. 👍 BWAH HA HA HA HA!!

 

[iatrosB]

I also hope there will be a shortage. 👍 BWAH HA HA HA HA!!

Yeah. Shortage = many job offers = high pay, and pick and choose. It also means, crazy busy in the ED, but isn't that what its all about anyway.

 

[cooldreams]

maybe 😀

 

[WilcoWorld]

Not to get all EBM on you guys, but what are your sources?

 

[iatrosB]

Not to get all EBM on you guys, but what are your sources?

Annals of Emergency Medicine

http://www.aamc.org/students/cim/pub_emergencymed.htm

 

[kinetic]

Yeah. Shortage = many job offers = high pay, and pick and choose. It also means, crazy busy in the ED, but isn't that what its all about anyway.

Shortage also means fewer ED docs. MWAH HA HA HA HA!

 

[TysonCook]

Yeah. Shortage = many job offers = high pay, and pick and choose. It also means, crazy busy in the ED, but isn't that what its all about anyway.

Yeah, but crazy busy isn't always good=more hours=more mistakes

 

[cooldreams]

Not to get all EBM on you guys, but what are your sources?

le duh. 😀

 

[stoic]

Shortage also means fewer ED docs. MWAH HA HA HA HA!

shortage of EM docs means more FP's and internist in emergency departments, which means you'd get even more bogus pages.

choose your poison.

 

[kinetic]

...which means you'd get even more bogus pages.

This would be impossible. No ...wait ...no, yeah ...no. I was right the first time.

 

[buddym]

The patients that are waiting for hours in the ER may disagree that a EM doc shortage is a good thing.

 

[Sessamoid]

The patients that are waiting for hours in the ER may disagree that a EM doc shortage is a good thing.

There's no shortage of EPs in LA, but that's more because of more and more hospital closures than lack of patients. The patients won't get seen any faster here in LA no matter how many docs there are until hospitals stop shutting their doors.

 

[buddym]

There's no shortage of EPs in LA, but that's more because of more and more hospital closures than lack of patients. The patients won't get seen any faster here in LA no matter how many docs there are until hospitals stop shutting their doors.

I guess the prospect of living in LA could be a good incentive for EPs to practice there. Why are so many hospitals shutting down?

 

[cooldreams]

also it cant hurt that florida will soon be losing most of its entire doctor force because of a recently passed law.

🙄

 

[Siggy]

also it cant hurt that florida will soon be losing most of its entire doctor force because of a recently passed law.

🙄

[warning: pre-med nub asking question]

Can you be licensed to practice in more then one state?

Once the doctors start to leave Florida, the price for a doctor will rise significantly. The problem, however, is the 3-strikes law, but if you licensed to practice in another state, then just move to that state. Assuming this works, Florida doctors can stay in Florida, make a ton of money, get their 3 strikes, and then move to their alternative state and practice there.

 

[Sessamoid]

[warning: pre-med nub asking question]

Can you be licensed to practice in more then one state?

Yes. As many as you feel like filling out the paperwork and processing fees for.

 

[cooldreams]

Yes. As many as you feel like filling out the paperwork and processing fees for.

they wont deny you a license even if florida revolks it??? 😱

 

[Sessamoid]

they wont deny you a license even if florida revolks it??? 😱

That's up to each of the state licensing boards to decide. Even if you do practice in Florida, I think you'd be smart to move out of the state and stop practicing there if you got two strikes. In effect, it's a TWO strike law, as anybody with any sense won't stick around after strikes.
Personally I hope all the docyors move out of Florida and leave the med mal lawyers nobody to sue.

BTW, I'm posting this from my newest toy which I just got, a Treo 650.

 

[margaritaboy]

That's up to each of the state licensing boards to decide. Even if you do practice in Florida, I think you'd be smart to move out of the state and stop practicing there if you got two strikes. In effect, it's a TWO strike law, as anybody with any sense won't stick around after strikes.
Personally I hope all the docyors move out of Florida and leave the med mal lawyers nobody to sue.

BTW, I'm posting this from my newest toy which I just got, a Treo 650.

I just got a Dell X30. It is wicked cool, and a big upgrade from that brick I was carry around.

 

[Sessamoid]

I just got a Dell X30. It is wicked cool, and a big upgrade from that brick I was carry around.

The big benefit of the Treo for me is that I no longer need to carry around both a phone and pda. With the data access, I don't need a laptop much of the time since I get internet all the time.

 

[docB]

they wont deny you a license even if florida revolks it??? 😱

Many states WILL deny you a license if it has been revoked in another state such as under Florida's 3 strikes law. Even if they don't deny you outright the process will be much more difficult. For example, in NV if you have any blemishes on your record such as previous investigations, revokations or any adverse action against your license you must appear in Reno for a hearing for the board to decide if they want to go forward with your application.

Maybe there are those here that don't know how insidious the whole med mal thing is so here are a few more nuggets of fun to chew on. Once you get sued you are required to report the action to any boards with whom you are licensed. If any money is paid out for you or by you your name goes into the National Practitioner Data Bank. That data bank is searched any time you apply for a new license or for priveledges at a new hospital.

Docs and students should understand that once you collect a few suits against you your options to relocate or even switch jobs in the same city are severely limited.

 

[eadysx]

Many states WILL deny you a license if it has been revoked in another state such as under Florida's 3 strikes law. Even if they don't deny you outright the process will be much more difficult. For example, in NV if you have any blemishes on your record such as previous investigations, revokations or any adverse action against your license you must appear in Reno for a hearing for the board to decide if they want to go forward with your application.

Maybe there are those here that don't know how insidious the whole med mal thing is so here are a few more nuggets of fun to chew on. Once you get sued you are required to report the action to any boards with whom you are licensed. If any money is paid out for you or by you your name goes into the National Practitioner Data Bank. That data bank is searched any time you apply for a new license or for priveledges at a new hospital.

Docs and students should understand that once you collect a few suits against you your options to relocate or even switch jobs in the same city are severely limited.

Do EM physicians find themselves with more law suits than other physicians? (Sorry, I realize that is kind of a broad question.) When I worked as a Medic, I frequently brought in patients who were threatening to sue everyone they saw.(None ever brought a suit against me, I guess Medic pay is not worth going after. ) If someone brings a law suit against you that is throw out of court, does it still count as a mark against you?

Thanks,
E-

 

[stoic]

Do EM physicians find themselves with more law suits than other physicians? (Sorry, I realize that is kind of a broad question.) When I worked as a Medic, I frequently brought in patients who were threatening to sue everyone they saw.(None ever brought a suit against me, I guess Medic pay is not worth going after. ) If someone brings a law suit against you that is throw out of court, does it still count as a mark against you?

Thanks,
E-

Last I'd heard, EM physicians do get sued at a higher than average rate. I'd assume that this in partially because of "carpet-bombing." IE If a patient comes to the hospital and has a bad outcome, every physician who took part in their care can be (and usually is) named as a defendant.

 

[docB]

Stoic is correct that EPs do get sued at a relatively high rate (I think we're about 5th and it depends if you're looking at number of suits or dollars paid out) and a lot of that is because they lawyer will sue everyone that saw the patient and almost everyone in the hospital came through the ER.

(None ever brought a suit against me, I guess Medic pay is not worth going after. ) If someone brings a law suit against you that is throw out of court, does it still count as a mark against you?

Medics do get sued because it allows the lawyer to go after the deep pockets of the ambulance company or city or whatever. I'm sure AMR gets sued all the time. Someone on the board was recently talking about a friend (clearly trustworthy info, a friend of someone I about on a forum board, but nevertheless) who had a suit against him as a medic and it made it difficult for him to get a residency spot because he had to disclose the suit.

As for suits that get thrown out no they don't count against you unless you count the hours of time lost to giving depositions and the overall stress. And remember that most cases that don't pay out don't get officially dismissed. They just sort of fade away. The plaintiff's lawyer will examine the info to see if there's any money to be made. If so they'll send you a letter of intent to sue (kiss sleeping at night goodbye) and pay to have others examine the chart to see if they agree. If they agree they'll schedule depositions which are expensive. They farther along they get the more they will have invested and the less likely they are to let it drop. But if at any point the plaintiff's lawyer thinks that the cost will out weigh the potential payoff they will let it die.

Just remember that if you're a doctor and someone walks up to you on the street (usually at home or at work) and says "Hey, are you Dr. Soandso?" Run. You are about to get served.

 

[grouptherapy]

a reason why EPs and anesthesiologists are sued more than FPs, internists and the like is that the nature of their work doesn't allow for the development of strong doctor-patient relationships. a patient is more likely to sue a doctor they've known only for hours/minutes rather than years.

 

[FoughtFyr]

Someone on the board was recently talking about a friend (clearly trustworthy info, a friend of someone I about on a forum board, but nevertheless) who had a suit against him as a medic and it made it difficult for him to get a residency spot because he had to disclose the suit.

Well, the "someone" was me. A very close friend of mine (groomsman in my wedding) was named and then released from a suit when he was an EMT. He was working at an amusement park which was the "deep pocket". He was an EMT-B partnered with an EMT-P (who was also dropped from the suit before it was settled). Because the cause of action was "malpractice", and the ERAS application specifically asks if you have ever been party to a malpractice suit, he had to list it. He was asked about it at every interview and he did not feel he matched well. Now, something else might have been the cause of his match troubles, but being asked about the suit couldn't have made the interviews easy.

BTW - the suit was still ongoing during his M1 and M2 year. He had to miss lectures to give depositions in the case and he had to take out additional loans to pay for his defence. All in all, he says it was the most horrible experience of his life.

- H