Getting A Lucrative Job in Cali

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gardens421

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Hi All,

Thanks for all your advice during the match process! I'm now a PGY1 in the Southwest Region!

I have a sizable $250K debt and 27 yrs old at the moment.

I'm wondering what do I need to accomplish during residency to land a $350K/yr job after residency in California? I'm willing to work as many hours as possible in my first few years after residency so I can pay my loan off in 1-2yrs. I see myself married upon graduation but with no kids at the time.

Surely not everyone that applies to these types of jobs get it and there must be tough competition for them. Basically, I see postings on gaswork.com in Cali with high salaries and am wondering who these practices take.

What should I do during residency to put me in a competitive position to make this kind of money in California? Kill Step3? Boards? Become a Chief Resident? Great LOR? Fellowship?

Do I need to work somewhere else for less money to build my CV before getting this dream job?


Thanks!
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If your only criterion is "job is in California," it's easy.

If your criteria include "job in a desirable area of California, at least within striking distance of a major city," well, then it gets a little tougher.

Hint: nothing you see advertised on Gaswork in California is your dream job, unless you really like cows.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Hawaiian Bruin said:
If your only criterion is "job is in California," it's easy.

If your criteria include "job in a desirable area of California, at least within striking distance of a major city," well, then it gets a little tougher.

Hint: nothing you see advertised on Gaswork in California is your dream job, unless you really like cows.
Click to expand...
Hey, cows are people too. Oh wait. No they aren't. They are steak. Delicious steak.
 
pgg said:
California is a big state. Where do you want to go?
Click to expand...

Ideally Orange County. I know this region may be tough to get into, but is it possible for a recent grad to land a job in this area or is it recommended to work a few years post-grad elsewhere to boost the resume?

-----------
Lol good to know, yeah I noticed most locations on Gaswork are non-ideal parts of the state.
 
gardens421 said:
Hi All,

Thanks for all your advice during the match process! I'm now a PGY1 in the Southwest Region!

I have a sizable $250K debt and 27 yrs old at the moment.

I'm wondering what do I need to accomplish during residency to land a $350K/yr job after residency in California? I'm willing to work as many hours as possible in my first few years after residency so I can pay my loan off in 1-2yrs. I see myself married upon graduation but with no kids at the time.

Surely not everyone that applies to these types of jobs get it and there must be tough competition for them. Basically, I see postings on gaswork.com in Cali with high salaries and am wondering who these practices take.

What should I do during residency to put me in a competitive position to make this kind of money in California? Kill Step3? Boards? Become a Chief Resident? Great LOR? Fellowship?

Do I need to work somewhere else for less money to build my CV before getting this dream job?


Thanks!
Click to expand...

Here's a good one:

http://www.gaswork.com/post/150284

Keep in mind, however, that CA taxes will eat up almost 50% of your income. It may not be worth it. If I were you, I would look at Texas, mainly the Houston area.

good luck.
 
lucrative jobs in desirable cali are majorly taken by cali program graduates, and the rest filled from other region's elite programs.
 
Hey, I'd like to be an anesthesiologist in a cosmetic surgeon's clinic on Hollywood drive also!

But I think the best way to get a position like that is to have connections. Unfortunately that rules me out...
 
The LA proper area is an extremely tough market. My older brother is in downtown Los Angeles. In his group of 14 docs, 1 doc recently left because his wife (who was CA-3 resident in either UC Irvine or UCLA or USC (can't remember which one), couldn't even find a job in Los Angeles or Orange County.

So they both moved south to San Diego for jobs.

So even being a "local" doesn't make it any easier to get job in LA proper. Of course because of nepotism, since they had that one job opening 2 years ago, I was handed the job on a silver platter but my wife didn't want to move from Florida. His group immediately filled that position very quickly. Think they posted it on gaswork and had over 130 applications within 1-2 weeks.

This was blended unit system general guys make 400-450K and the cardiac guys make 450-550K. You do work a lot around 55 hours a week. But fair group.

Just have to be at the right place right time to get some of these jobs in desirable parts of California.

Agree with others, California has very high taxes. Wouldn't recommend California unless its Kaiser with great benefits and set hours, to not take a W2 job. Try to find 1099 job where you at least try to minimize some of your taxes. My brother puts around 100k into his retirement to offset some of the taxes.

Kaiser is a different beast these days as well. Northern Cali Kaiser pays a little bit better than Southern Cali Kaiser. They are different entities. Southern Cali doesn't hire (or rarely) full time immediately. My buddy who was chief resident at my training is in Southern Cali Kaiser. Usually you have to work per diem hours first for them to get to know you. The pay is low like $125/hr. Maybe after 6 months if they have an opening you may be offered a job.

But last time I checked with Kaiser was 2 years ago, so not sure if they even have openings in the LA area any more.

And don't take a job with Kaiser that's far from LA because it is very difficult to "transfer/move" to another Kaiser closer to LA (at least thats what my sister in law said and she's a Kaiser hospitalist in Orange County).
 
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I'm just assuming but is the Sacramento valley one of the easier places in CA to get jobs? Is it BFE? I'm just an MS2 with some interest in gas, and don't want LA or Bay area.
 
Spikebd said:
I'm just assuming but is the Sacramento valley one of the easier places in CA to get jobs? Is it BFE? I'm just an MS2 with some interest in gas, and don't want LA or Bay area.
Click to expand...

What does BFE stand for? Bum Fu*k Egypt?
 
Baller MD said:
What does BFE stand for? Bum Fu*k Egypt?
Click to expand...

You'll know when you get there...

Redneck+Bubba.jpeg
 
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gardens421 said:
Hi All,

Thanks for all your advice during the match process! I'm now a PGY1 in the Southwest Region!

I have a sizable $250K debt and 27 yrs old at the moment.



I'm wondering what do I need to accomplish during residency to land a $350K/yr job after residency in California? I'm willing to work as many hours as possible in my first few years after residency so I can pay my loan off in 1-2yrs. I see myself married upon graduation but with no kids at the time.

Surely not everyone that applies to these types of jobs get it and there must be tough competition for them. Basically, I see postings on gaswork.com in Cali with high salaries and am wondering who these practices take.

What should I do during residency to put me in a competitive position to make this kind of money in California? Kill Step3? Boards? Become a Chief Resident? Great LOR? Fellowship?

Do I need to work somewhere else for less money to build my CV before getting this dream job?


Thanks!
Click to expand...

By the time you graduate, kid, you'll be lucky to make $250k.
 
Does doing a fellowship at the area you want to break into help at all or is it generally just the residency?
 
Spikebd said:
I'm just assuming but is the Sacramento valley one of the easier places in CA to get jobs? Is it BFE? I'm just an MS2 with some interest in gas, and don't want LA or Bay area.
Click to expand...
The central valley is a much easier market. Sacramento isn't as desperate for doctors as places further south though, like Fresno and Bakersfield.

Cost of living is lower than the coast. Pay seems to be better.

I just spent 5 years there on military orders, and the moonlighting was lucrative. Can't say I have my finger on the pulse if the market, since I wasn't looking for a full time job, but I think any new grad or full-timer with a clean past could walk into the San Joaquin Valley and make $400K+ 1099 from the start.

I'm actually on my way out, driving a Penske truck east today. It was a good 5 years but the odds of me going back are low.
 
pgg said:
The central valley is a much easier market. Sacramento isn't as desperate for doctors as places further south though, like Fresno and Bakersfield.

Cost of living is lower than the coast. Pay seems to be better.

I just spent 5 years there on military orders, and the moonlighting was lucrative. Can't say I have my finger on the pulse if the market, since I wasn't looking for a full time job, but I think any new grad or full-timer with a clean past could walk into the San Joaquin Valley and make $400K+ 1099 from the start.

I'm actually on my way out, driving a Penske truck east today. It was a good 5 years but the odds of me going back are low.
Click to expand...


New chapter in the book of life. I like those. 👍

Safe travels. Hopefully you'll get to your destination before 12:00pm tomorrow.
 
aneftp said:
The LA proper area is an extremely tough market. My older brother is in downtown Los Angeles. In his group of 14 docs, 1 doc recently left because his wife (who was CA-3 resident in either UC Irvine or UCLA or USC (can't remember which one), couldn't even find a job in Los Angeles or Orange County.

So they both moved south to San Diego for jobs.

So even being a "local" doesn't make it any easier to get job in LA proper. Of course because of nepotism, since they had that one job opening 2 years ago, I was handed the job on a silver platter but my wife didn't want to move from Florida. His group immediately filled that position very quickly. Think they posted it on gaswork and had over 130 applications within 1-2 weeks.

This was blended unit system general guys make 400-450K and the cardiac guys make 450-550K. You do work a lot around 55 hours a week. But fair group.

Just have to be at the right place right time to get some of these jobs in desirable parts of California.

Agree with others, California has very high taxes. Wouldn't recommend California unless its Kaiser with great benefits and set hours, to not take a W2 job. Try to find 1099 job where you at least try to minimize some of your taxes. My brother puts around 100k into his retirement to offset some of the taxes.

Kaiser is a different beast these days as well. Northern Cali Kaiser pays a little bit better than Southern Cali Kaiser. They are different entities. Southern Cali doesn't hire (or rarely) full time immediately. My buddy who was chief resident at my training is in Southern Cali Kaiser. Usually you have to work per diem hours first for them to get to know you. The pay is low like $125/hr. Maybe after 6 months if they have an opening you may be offered a job.

But last time I checked with Kaiser was 2 years ago, so not sure if they even have openings in the LA area any more.

And don't take a job with Kaiser that's far from LA because it is very difficult to "transfer/move" to another Kaiser closer to LA (at least thats what my sister in law said and she's a Kaiser hospitalist in Orange County).
Click to expand...

What kind of retirement account is this? I thought the limit for a self-funded 401K is 52K?

thanx
 
great responses everyone! looks like I may have to broaden my horizons, which I had planned to as back up. (Fresno, Bakersfield, and Inland Empire). Vegas would also make for a fun location!
 
Arch Guillotti said:
Probably defined benefit plan.
Click to expand...
Yes. Defined benefit plan.

My brother puts between 100-120k a year to shelter away from taxes.

It depends your age. The older you are the more you can put it.

Personally myself. I have what's known as a "safe harbor Ira" for my LLC. It's a newest type where I put around $50k for myself and $23k for my non working wife. So putting away $73k pre tax.

But keep in mind many of these retirement accounts come with a lot of fees and some of these people who set things up for u will try to get you to invest in many risky portfolios that's also come with fees.

So various retirement options when you are self employed to shelter taxes.

My effective tax rate generally hovered around 15-16%. That's including social security/self employment taxes. Some years I got my effective tax rate as low as 8%. Depends how many tax write offs you want. Some of my friends go way over board buying useless things like 6 flat screens. Lease cars etc to get their effective tax rate even below 8%.

Whereas as a W2 you are looking at around a 22-25% effective tax rate.

Of course I get super benefits as w2 this year. So the tax savings as 1099/self employed must be weighed heavily with w2 benefits. Some w2 jobs comes with very little benefits.
 
sevoflurane said:
New chapter in the book of life. I like those. 👍

Safe travels. Hopefully you'll get to your destination before 12:00pm tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Thanks, arrived late last night. Back to the hospital where I was a resident. Enjoyed my time at the small rural hospital, now looking forward to being at a big(ger) hospital again.

Missed the games today, but happy to see we advanced.
 
Are starting salaries really in the $300-400k range? "2013 Median first-year post-residency/fellowship compensation per MGMA" has gas at $220k/yr.
 
I'm just beginning my CA-1 as we speak in NJ. I'm originally from Los Angeles area. Does that help to return to sunny So Cal? Is it tough to get a fellowship in California? I've heard things like having a license in a state you want to get a fellowship in helps out a bunch. Is the job market for Pain a little better?
 
Ezekiel2517 said:
Diversity of PP groups. To answer the other poster's question, 220 is low for first year out.
Click to expand...

I don't think people should focus on salary numbers alone. Too many variable factors.

My buddy who works at surgery center near Los Gatos (Bay area) makes only 200K a year but he works about 30 hours a week and takes around 10 weeks of vacation with no calls no weekends.

You can "make 450K" with 2-3 weeks vacation averaging 60 hours a week and Q5/6 call also. The numbers are the roughly the same per hour if run the math.
 
turnupthegas said:
I'm just beginning my CA-1 as we speak in NJ. I'm originally from Los Angeles area. Does that help to return to sunny So Cal? Is it tough to get a fellowship in California? I've heard things like having a license in a state you want to get a fellowship in helps out a bunch. Is the job market for Pain a little better?
Click to expand...
I can't imagine having a license in the state would push anyone to hire you over someone else. A lot of it comes down to skills (the proxy being the prestige or known aspects of your training) and relationships. Training there can help establish both. I can't speak to the So-Cal pain market, but in the Bay Area it's abysmal. We have pain graduates knocking on our door at the VA for OR-only jobs every year.
 
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