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And what time do they usually have to get in/get out by? I've been thinking about IR as one of my options but if it's not a "lifestyle speciality" like diagnostic radiology I might reconsider.
How much free time do interventional radiologists have?
- Thread starter Lord_Vader
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It is in no way a lifestyle specialty. Can't schedule a stroke - you get called in whenever.
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What do IR docs have to do for strokes immediately?
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It might depend on the practice...I know a PP doc who does a combo of dx rad and IR and has the same schedule: 8-4pm. The hospital contracts with a different group to cover reads during the night, I don't know if he has to take call for IR stuff.
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Have you ever tried to call an after hours/weekend IR consult? Not happening (unless they are in house/ huge academic center)
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Who you gonna call? The "clot busters"
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Maybe you haven't worked with IR docs. But they're a new enough specialty that hurts them in a couple ways:
Add ons - expect them on a regular basis. You'll have them throughout the week which can lengthen your day.
No established clinical practice - IR has been at the behest of vascular, surgery, ob/gyn for referrals for some time now. The aim for IR (or what I've learned) is to establish itself as more than just a referral/someone to rely on other specialties but have clinics that establish a reputation with patients
When you say IR doesn't do weekends, think again. They don't have it as bad as surgery but they definitely do come on weekends. The acute interventional cases happen on weekends. Though, honestly, it seems more like the fellow is the one doing the case to get the experience/numbers while the attending intervenes on complex cases.
My point is that IR isn't really in a position to say no. As a new group, they kind of do it because of reasons I mentioned. You want a good relationship with those specialties and saying "oh it's the weekend, it can wait or I don't want to" doesn't help.
The other issue is finding a place where you can dedicate your skills to IR and not be required to do diagnostic radiology. Or not much.
With saying that, IR is definitely an awesome specialty with some of the stuff they do. Just be prepared for constant g-tubes, central lines, chemo access, etc. It's the monotonous stuff (from speaking to rads residents) that turns them off to IR.
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You might want to talk to radiology residents. The "lifestyle" people talk about isn't the same nowadays. And I'm not saying it in a bad way. But rads is being hit by the "rvu" just like other specialties.
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Cardiology!
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Lol I would love to see the reaction of a cardiologist when you say "save the penumbra!"
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Reconsider. Interventional Radiology is not a "lifestyle speciality". You come when they want you to come.
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At least they get to sit at a table.
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True. And drink coffee anytime without fear of it being inapprops
I'll also add that IR is taking patients away from Gyn via uterine fibroid embolization. Which is always a win when it involves annoying Gyn.
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To be fair, most of those consults were garbage.
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I'm surprised Gyn would give that up to Radiology. They live for that type of thing.
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They hate it. Like, to the point of some Gyns threatening to never see that patient again if they do that.
They hate the long hours and procedures they do but then do a 180 when another specialist "encroaches".
It'd be like surgery getting all fussy for IR doing g tubes and arterial embolization for bleeding duodenal ulcers. They're only making things easier for you and the patient.
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To OP --
IR has a wide variety of attending practice patterns, ranging from:
- IRs who do 50/50 IR and diagnostic work, mostly minimal with some moderately complex IR procedures. They are often in smaller centers. They don't work tons, but tend to work more than their diagnostic colleagues (usually hired to be the group's procedural on call person). Their salary is higher than the diagnostic rads, according to the extra time they put in.
- Academic IRs who are an important part of the multidisciplinary team and work side by side with surg oncs, med oncs, and rad oncs. These are doing more Y-90 than tube checks. Must be up to date on all the research. Not at all a lifestyle choice.
Then there are those inbetween.
IR has a wide variety of attending practice patterns, ranging from:
- IRs who do 50/50 IR and diagnostic work, mostly minimal with some moderately complex IR procedures. They are often in smaller centers. They don't work tons, but tend to work more than their diagnostic colleagues (usually hired to be the group's procedural on call person). Their salary is higher than the diagnostic rads, according to the extra time they put in.
- Academic IRs who are an important part of the multidisciplinary team and work side by side with surg oncs, med oncs, and rad oncs. These are doing more Y-90 than tube checks. Must be up to date on all the research. Not at all a lifestyle choice.
Then there are those inbetween.
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Yep, gotta love the "stat PICC" at 10 pm on a Saturday.
If it's emergent, do Introsseous. Stat PICCs don't exist.
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To be fair, a lot of it is g/gj tubes and central lines. Which still suck. But understandable.
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You can be an IR and not do ESN. In fact, many don't.
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IR is most certainly not a lifestyle specialty. With that said, it's still way better than gen surg and majority of the surgical sub specialties.
This is due to the very fact that cases are low morbidity and recovery is short and sweet. Very few IR procedures require an overnight stay.
With that said, as more and more IR docs start admitting patients (noncompex patients) to their own service, things may become busier.
Expect the average IR lifestyle to be that between a general surgeon's lifestyle and a outpatient-procedure based Urologist/ENT lifestyle.
This is due to the very fact that cases are low morbidity and recovery is short and sweet. Very few IR procedures require an overnight stay.
With that said, as more and more IR docs start admitting patients (noncompex patients) to their own service, things may become busier.
Expect the average IR lifestyle to be that between a general surgeon's lifestyle and a outpatient-procedure based Urologist/ENT lifestyle.
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I have never seen an IR doc admit to their service.
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It depends on the center, but it certainly happens.
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Yeah, and with bundled payments coming you will see less dumping patients to medicine in the community hospitals.
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Lot of places don't still. It's a movement within the IR community and fellowship/residency programs are gauged by how clinical they are. More clinical, 'better' they're perceived.
Of note, very few IR procedures even need an overnight stay. TACEs, UFEs, TIPS come to mind. Lot of the in-patient management for these patient is simply pain control.
We have no illusion that IR will be managing complicated patients but uncomplicated stays are definitely game.
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Their service? You mean... Post-op or SICU?
regardless, they do admit some patients. Embolozation or complex IR procedures are usually admitted to at least observe them overnight. Also, no one discharges a patient with a g/gj tube same day.
