Going back into the OR

[lunaire]

Hey folks,

Anybody here made a transition back to OR anesthesiology after a period of out of OR jobs? e..g critical care or pain med?

I've been out of the OR for a few years now (pure critical care), wondering what steps are needed to be OR-credentialed again.

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[IMGASMD]

I know someone who did outpatient GI for a few years. Need to get a locum job, or some part time job, to get numbers up. This was a few years ago, at a very saturated area. It took a lot of leg work and perhaps even some not so desired jobs before he was back. Needed to show some numbers. Maybe some smaller places that really need some help. If you have not been in a surgical environment, maybe even more work before you can get back.
There was another thread or two about this.
May I ask why you are thinking about coming back ?

Good luck.

 

[lunaire]

I know someone who did outpatient GI for a few years. Need to get a locum job, or some part time job, to get numbers up. This was a few years ago, at a very saturated area. It took a lot of leg work and perhaps even some not so desired jobs before he was back. Needed to show some numbers. Maybe some smaller places that really need some help. If you have not been in a surgical environment, maybe even more work before you can get back.
There was another thread or two about this.
May I ask why you are thinking about coming back ?

Good luck.

I've always enjoyed OR work. The critical care only job was a rather forced circumstance thing; my original plan was always to do some mix of both.

I'm also finding myself drawn more towards the underserved areas nowadays... I figure covering ICU and anesthesiology is somewhat beneficial for these areas, especially if they have the need but not the volume.

 

[nimbus]

How long were you in the OR before you left? If you worked OR for 5-10 years before leaving and left for only 1 year, it’ll be easier to go back than if you worked OR for 1 year and then left for 5 years. If the latter is the case, it may be worth contacting your old residency to do a 3-4 month preceptorship to get reacquainted with the OR.

 

[Mman]

Hey folks,

Anybody here made a transition back to OR anesthesiology after a period of out of OR jobs? e..g critical care or pain med?

I've been out of the OR for a few years now (pure critical care), wondering what steps are needed to be OR-credentialed again.

I think it just depends where you will be working and need to ask whoever does the credentialing/privileging at the hospital. Since you are board certified in anesthesia you may not need any additional time or they may ask for some proof of doing cases in OR since it has been a few years since you did it.

 

[lunaire]

Heh,

How long were you in the OR before you left? If you worked OR for 5-10 years before leaving and left for only 1 year, it’ll be easier to go back than if you worked OR for 1 year and then left for 5 years. If the latter is the case, it may be worth contacting your old residency to do a 3-4 month preceptorship to get reacquainted with the OR.

Is that 3-4 months typically paid preceptorship? That's a pretty long & expensive re-entry cost otherwise.

 

[nimbus]

Heh,


Is that 3-4 months typically paid preceptorship? That's a pretty long & expensive re-entry cost otherwise.

Maybe that is too long. We have hired people straight out of icu fellowship and they’ve gone directly into the OR. I assume they haven’t done any OR cases for a year. I don’t know where to get cases for credentialing but I think your residency is a good place to start if you’ve been out of the OR for a long time.

 

[lunaire]

Maybe that is too long. We have hired people straight out of icu fellowship and they’ve gone directly into the OR. I assume they haven’t done any OR cases for a year. I don’t know where to get cases for credentialing but I think your residency is a good place to start if you’ve been out of the OR for a long time.

Thanks for the suggestion, appreciate it.

 

[neutro]

Do PRN day time work first and find a practice which is looking for locums. Get a 4-6 month contract...Sit in your cases and just talk to the chairman to keep an eye out for you for the first couple of months. Do not do medical direction where you will be doing pre ops and not really actively doing cases.
Do not take call straight away
Start with quick cases with fast turnover just to get the routine going.
Just don't advertise yourself that youv'e been out of the OR too much. It's no one's business. It may be used against you. Yes you were out, but its not like you were baking cookies...you were doing critical care and also seeing patients

Its a little harder for pain docs vs ICU docs to get back into pain mgt...for pain docs, the routine is typically enter GI suite for sedation cases or pain cases for sedation, graduate to ASC/hospital etc...one of my colleagues was doing pain for 6 years and decided to go back to anesthesia and it took him 11 months to be OR ready for general surgery and get back to same routine

i would suspect if you're an ICU doc, it will probably take you 2-3 months. it wont be a problem...

 

[Aether2000]

I was out of the OR 20 years, then transitioned back in via working for a local locum tenens style of company. Started with surgery centers, then gradually moved into hospitals, then into a permanent hospital position, then semi-retired, now doing half time in surgery centers with occasional hospital call to keep up my skill sets. There was no recertification required along the way, but I did a significant amount of reading in journals and attended several anesthesia meetings (PGA, IARS, state ASA meetings). I am very happy I made the transition back into the OR.

 

[lunaire]

Thank you all for the input. Sounds like there are a few pathways that I can look into.

 

[Katheudontas parateroumen]

Hello, going to piggyback off this thread instead of starting another one. In a similar predicament as I am looking at both ICU or Anesthesia jobs, not much out there in my location in terms of a truly mixed ICU/OR job.

-Is it easier to transition from 100% anesthesia to ICU, or 100% ICU to anesthesia? Let's say after 1 or 2 years of doing one specialty. Easier as in ability to get credentialing, hiring, etc.
-Is it easier to do per diem ICU work or per diem anesthesia? It seems like I could do some anesthesia on my ICU off weeks which seems easier than doing a few ICU shifts a year during anesthesia vacation time.
-Also considering part time ICU and part time anesthesia, but gets pretty complicated.

 

[Urzuz]

I was out of the OR 20 years, then transitioned back in via working for a local locum tenens style of company. Started with surgery centers, then gradually moved into hospitals, then into a permanent hospital position, then semi-retired, now doing half time in surgery centers with occasional hospital call to keep up my skill sets. There was no recertification required along the way, but I did a significant amount of reading in journals and attended several anesthesia meetings (PGA, IARS, state ASA meetings). I am very happy I made the transition back into the OR.

Props to you for successfully making the transition back, can’t imagine the road was easy.

Out of curiosity what were you doing for 20 years out of the OR? And why did you transition back?

 

[Velefunt]

Hello, going to piggyback off this thread instead of starting another one. In a similar predicament as I am looking at both ICU or Anesthesia jobs, not much out there in my location in terms of a truly mixed ICU/OR job.

-Is it easier to transition from 100% anesthesia to ICU, or 100% ICU to anesthesia? Let's say after 1 or 2 years of doing one specialty. Easier as in ability to get credentialing, hiring, etc.
-Is it easier to do per diem ICU work or per diem anesthesia? It seems like I could do some anesthesia on my ICU off weeks which seems easier than doing a few ICU shifts a year during anesthesia vacation time.
-Also considering part time ICU and part time anesthesia, but gets pretty complicated.

If you're still looking, DM me your desired area; We've got partners practicing a mix of ICU and OR - we're supportive as a group of this arrangement.

 

[nimbus]

Hello, going to piggyback off this thread instead of starting another one. In a similar predicament as I am looking at both ICU or Anesthesia jobs, not much out there in my location in terms of a truly mixed ICU/OR job.

-Is it easier to transition from 100% anesthesia to ICU, or 100% ICU to anesthesia? Let's say after 1 or 2 years of doing one specialty. Easier as in ability to get credentialing, hiring, etc.
-Is it easier to do per diem ICU work or per diem anesthesia? It seems like I could do some anesthesia on my ICU off weeks which seems easier than doing a few ICU shifts a year during anesthesia vacation time.
-Also considering part time ICU and part time anesthesia, but gets pretty complicated.

I think @chocomorsel switched between specialties too. Not sure how her timing was though…which she did first, for how long, or if she switched back and forth.

 

[vector2]

Hello, going to piggyback off this thread instead of starting another one. In a similar predicament as I am looking at both ICU or Anesthesia jobs, not much out there in my location in terms of a truly mixed ICU/OR job.

-Is it easier to transition from 100% anesthesia to ICU, or 100% ICU to anesthesia? Let's say after 1 or 2 years of doing one specialty. Easier as in ability to get credentialing, hiring, etc.
-Is it easier to do per diem ICU work or per diem anesthesia? It seems like I could do some anesthesia on my ICU off weeks which seems easier than doing a few ICU shifts a year during anesthesia vacation time.
-Also considering part time ICU and part time anesthesia, but gets pretty complicated.

If you can't get a mixed job then get an ICU gig and do per diem anesthesia on your off days/weeks

 

[chocomorsel]

If you can't get a mixed job then get an ICU gig and do per diem anesthesia on your off days/weeks

Exactly this. ICU work is typically a week on and a week off or 14-15 days a month. You would work one or two days on your weeks off if you want.