To neonatology colleagues out there, if you would be so kind to help me have some of these questions answered, I would really appreciate!
1. What kind of schedule do you and your group have? Week on and week off? Night float? etc?
2. What is the range of salary in a generally academic setting, say level III or IV NICU?
3. How is the job market in neonatology? I know my hospital is looking for one, that does not mean that there is high demands though...
1. My first 5 years was 24/7 for one week, call from home, then 5 additional days of 9-5, no call after 5, then 9-12 days off (depending on the rotation). There were no NNPs. I was at a level IV NICU with an average daily census of 25. It was brutal and I don't miss it. I now work 24/7 for 2 weeks straight, call from home, in-house NNPs 24/7, at a level III NICU with an average daily census of 10. Much better lifestyle. I would never want to work without NNPs again.
2. I was offered both private and academic positions after fellowship. The salary of the academic positions was about 60% of what I was offered for private practice, and the expectations to produce academically were very high. Overall, I felt like I was going to be working more and earning less, and that there would always be a nagging sense that there was a paper to write or funding to obtain, endless research meetings, and years to climb the totem pole. One benefit of the academic positions was that the retirement benefits were better, but keep in mind how many state retirement funds are no longer paying out.
3. For me, I had to ask myself this question, "do I want to love where I live, or love where I work?" I entered the job market in 2010, at a time when many Neos close to retirement had lost substantial funds due to the economic crisis, and had decided to continue practicing. So the choicest jobs offered to me were NOT in the choicest locations. If I wanted to work in that glamorous locale, I would need to work more and get paid less. I had a conversation with the division chief of a choice southern California NICU program. He told me what he was paying first-year associates...$80K/year...and he said if the applicant balked at the salary, he had 10 more applicants waiting outside the door who would sign up immediately. By contrast, I was offered more than 3 times as much for private NICUs in cities whose main industry was agriculture. My first 5 years were spent making a lot of money, working a lot of hours, in a community that I hated. For the past 3 years, I have made less, worked less, and I am much happier living in an area that better suits my outdoor lifestyle. Another option: once you get some experience, there is a lot of locums work available and it pays very well (going rate is $1500-1800/24 hours on call and they pay travel and malpractice). You can live wherever you want, and spend 1-2 weeks per month working somewhere you don't live. However, if you have a family, or if you want to feel committed to a NICU and community, this option may not work well. Texas is wide open for neonatology positions right now. The state changed the rules for NICUs and now many NICUs that previously had call from home are now required to have in-house Neo coverage 24/7. With an active Texas license, I get no less than 4-5 calls/emails per week from recruiters in Texas, and I can pick the choicest locums positions if I need some extra funds. Another thing to consider as you make your decision between NICU/PICU: a community of about 60K people can support a NICU. It takes a much larger community, and often a children's hospital, to support a PICU. Do you want to always live in a larger city, or would you like the option to live in a smaller community?
