How to make $$$ in ObGyn with still a few hours to spare

[snow9]

Is it possible to make a very nice salary and have a good schedule and time for vacation in ObGyn?

ObGyn has a bad rep for lifestyle and isn’t regarded as a top earning speciality in the same way as Ophtho, Plastics, etc.

Given it’s poor rep for lifestyle and just mediocre rep for payscale, which ObGyns have you met/do you know that have been able to have it all?

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[BigTumor]

Is it possible to make a very nice salary and have a good schedule and time for vacation in ObGyn?

ObGyn has a bad rep for lifestyle and isn’t regarded as a top earning speciality in the same way as Ophtho, Plastics, etc.

Given it’s poor rep for lifestyle and just mediocre rep for payscale, which ObGyns have you met/do you know that have been able to have it all?

It really depends on what you call a “very nice salary “ and where you want to live. But yes, I know people who started at high 200s in private practice working 4 days a week in major Midwest cities. It really does vary. I have also heard people starting at 160-180k for a 4 day work week on coasts but then I get flyers in the mail for high 200s allegedly in some fancy California locale. If you really like Ob/Gyn I don’t think salary should be what gives you pause (there are a lot of other things to consider though). But yeah it doesn’t pay what some surgical subspecialties do and the lifestyle can be hard.

 

[anonperson]

Is it possible to make a very nice salary and have a good schedule and time for vacation in ObGyn?

ObGyn has a bad rep for lifestyle and isn’t regarded as a top earning speciality in the same way as Ophtho, Plastics, etc.

Given it’s poor rep for lifestyle and just mediocre rep for payscale, which ObGyns have you met/do you know that have been able to have it all?

Short answer is no.

Lifestyle depends on practice type/set up.

If you want money, you will have to hustle either by seeing patients in the office, delivering, and/or operating with fast/highly reimbursed procedures.

Starting salaries in general are around $225,000. Any less than that is a rip off and not worth the effort. These are for traditional office/on call/OR type jobs in a group setting with anywhere from 4-6 calls a month.

Laborist jobs are out there and can pay nicely if you want the trade off with little surgical volume. A hospital near me is offering $290,000 for 8 laborist calls a month.

The hospital system I work for is offering around ~$270,000 starting (southern California, 20 miles outside of Los Angeles). 4 calls a month (in house, with next day off) with scheduled OR time and clinic coverage. Main problem is finding people. Tough to recruit people who are both competent and want to work full time.

If you want to maximize your income, this is not the specialty to choose to be honest. Reimbursements for surgical procedures have been slashed and OB care pays alright but nothing amazing.

Better specialties include urology/ENT/derm etc in terms of autonomy, salary, lifestyle etc.

My job isn't perfect but its decent.

I wouldn't do this job for anything under $250,000 to be honest. Any less and the volume had better be super low and low acuity.

Main benefit of the job is that it is in relative demand since there is a shortage of people who want to work full time and actually know what they are doing. Easy to find a job in even very competitive areas (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego etc).

 

[Shufflin]

Reimbursements must have really been cut because 5 to 10 years ago ObGyn salaries seemed a lot higher. I always thought you guys made in the $400K range. I'm shocked its now in the $250K range. That's starting for Psychiatry. For the level of stress and risk, you guys deserve a lot higher.

 

[anonperson]

Reimbursements must have really been cut because 5 to 10 years ago ObGyn salaries seemed a lot higher. I always thought you guys made in the $400K range. I'm shocked its now in the $250K range. That's starting for Psychiatry. For the level of stress and risk, you guys deserve a lot higher.

That's starting salary.

A few years out should get to mid 300s.

It's decent but nothing to write home about.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Short answer is no.

Lifestyle depends on practice type/set up.

If you want money, you will have to hustle either by seeing patients in the office, delivering, and/or operating with fast/highly reimbursed procedures.

Starting salaries in general are around $225,000. Any less than that is a rip off and not worth the effort. These are for traditional office/on call/OR type jobs in a group setting with anywhere from 4-6 calls a month.

Laborist jobs are out there and can pay nicely if you want the trade off with little surgical volume. A hospital near me is offering $290,000 for 8 laborist calls a month.

The hospital system I work for is offering around ~$270,000 starting (southern California, 20 miles outside of Los Angeles). 4 calls a month (in house, with next day off) with scheduled OR time and clinic coverage. Main problem is finding people. Tough to recruit people who are both competent and want to work full time.

If you want to maximize your income, this is not the specialty to choose to be honest. Reimbursements for surgical procedures have been slashed and OB care pays alright but nothing amazing.

Better specialties include urology/ENT/derm etc in terms of autonomy, salary, lifestyle etc.

My job isn't perfect but its decent.

I wouldn't do this job for anything under $250,000 to be honest. Any less and the volume had better be super low and low acuity.

Main benefit of the job is that it is in relative demand since there is a shortage of people who want to work full time and actually know what they are doing. Easy to find a job in even very competitive areas (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego etc).

I always appreciate your post because you're like the only one on this board who talks about OB/GYN, so thanks for that!

Do you mind me asking what your salary and lifestyle is like for Urogyn? That's something I was actually interested in. Thanks!

 

[anonperson]

I always appreciate your post because you're like the only one on this board who talks about OB/GYN, so thanks for that!

Do you mind me asking what your salary and lifestyle is like for Urogyn? That's something I was actually interested in. Thanks!

I do a mix of OB/GYN/Urogynecology because I was fairly geographically restricted. I am building up a urogynecology practice essentially with some hospital support.
I take general call 4 times a month. Operate ~1/2 to 1 day a week. 1 day of call. Post call day off. Clinic the other days. First year salary will come out to $280K or so. It is busy so I earn every penny and think I am underpaid to be honest.
Mix of robotics/conventional laparoscopy/vaginal/and open surgery. Do some hysteroscopy etc as well.

A pure urogynecology practice typically is a fairly regular schedule (8-5). Starting academic salaries when I was interviewing was $225K with increases based on clinical/academic productivity. No real call requirements except backup GYN coverage a few times a year.

A private urogynecology position which was 2 hours outside of a major west coast city was offering $300K for the first year or two. Position was subsidized by the local health system which was looking to build a practice. No call requirements.
A friend of mine had a starting salary of $300K to $350K but this was 1.5 hours outside of a major east coast city.

Typical salaries for urogynecology with reasonable volume should be $300K to $350K on average.

There are positions out there for only urogynecology but if one is geographically restricted, then it is a bit more challenging.

 

[Shufflin]

I do a mix of OB/GYN/Urogynecology because I was fairly geographically restricted. I am building up a urogynecology practice essentially with some hospital support.
I take general call 4 times a month. Operate ~1/2 to 1 day a week. 1 day of call. Post call day off. Clinic the other days. First year salary will come out to $280K or so. It is busy so I earn every penny and think I am underpaid to be honest.
Mix of robotics/conventional laparoscopy/vaginal/and open surgery. Do some hysteroscopy etc as well.

A pure urogynecology practice typically is a fairly regular schedule (8-5). Starting academic salaries when I was interviewing was $225K with increases based on clinical/academic productivity. No real call requirements except backup GYN coverage a few times a year.

A private urogynecology position which was 2 hours outside of a major west coast city was offering $300K for the first year or two. Position was subsidized by the local health system which was looking to build a practice. No call requirements.
A friend of mine had a starting salary of $300K to $350K but this was 1.5 hours outside of a major east coast city.

Typical salaries for urogynecology with reasonable volume should be $300K to $350K on average.

There are positions out there for only urogynecology but if one is geographically restricted, then it is a bit more challenging.

I presume this isn't your practice. I wonder what the practice is making off you if you're only getting $280K. You could do followups 5 days a week at Medicare rates and earn that without doing anything else I think.

 

[anonperson]

I presume this isn't your practice. I wonder what the practice is making off you if you're only getting $280K. You could do followups 5 days a week at Medicare rates and earn that without doing anything else I think.

Then you have to worry about overheard (employees/sick leave , rent, malpractice, supplies, billing, advertising, getting on insurance panels /IPAs, actually collecting from insurance companies, as they take their time paying you). That will take ~40 to 50% off your gross right there .

I will say it is telling that the old guys in the community who have what I would call successful practices are selling to become employed because of the hassles of running a business.

There is something to be said about having your own practice and the autonomy it affords.

It is also nice knowing I get paid regardless of the number of patients I see and if an MA calls in sick, it's not my problem.

It is a generational thing at this point as most of the people my age are joining groups or employed positions.

 

[anonperson]

I presume this isn't your practice. I wonder what the practice is making off you if you're only getting $280K. You could do followups 5 days a week at Medicare rates and earn that without doing anything else I think.

Some OB GYNs do this as well and make a very nice living. Operating etc is not as lucrative as it used to be. Reimbursement has been slashed to hell for bread and butter cases.

You can easily make much more just grinding through patients in the office at level 3 and 4 visits.

I enjoy doing cases/operating so I never wanted to be solely in the office.

 

[Shufflin]

Some OB GYNs do this as well and make a very nice living. Operating etc is not as lucrative as it used to be. Reimbursement has been slashed to hell for bread and butter cases.

You can easily make much more just grinding through patients in the office at level 3 and 4 visits.

I enjoy doing cases/operating so I never wanted to be solely in the office.

I hear ya. Variety and autonomy are hard to put a price on. I'm with you there.

Yes a colleague of mine in ObGyn said her reimbursements have been cut drastically and she's moving towards rejuvenation like MonaLisa Touch and what not. PRP injections for enhanced vaginal function. Cosmetic procedures. Incorporating wight loss treatment where patients pay high monthly fees for their special "packet" of pills. Things like this.

 

[PathoTurnUp1865]

Damn, y’all are getting underpaid out the a**. Midwest flyers I see and docs I talk to seem to all say 400+ generalist and 500+ MFM. Again it is the Midwest so that may be the big reason. Hospitals here do a good mixture of everything in ob and gyn and work pretty long hours because there is a pretty big shortage of OBGYN docs. Most of the residents I’ve talked to are moving out of this state afterwards too.
One resident in particular told me one of the docs first year out was making 700k but they were working their dick off. They scaled it back to ~50 hrs and are making ~500 now. I guess it really depends where you work.

 

[AZpath]

Be care skeptical on the the flyers offering the huge bucks.
They give you a two year guarantee at an inflated rate and then you would have to work like a dog to maintain the salary.