Is it true that those who are in small towns earn more than those in big cities?

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reree17

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I read an article that said docs who live in small towns tend to earn much more than someone of the same specialty who lives in a major metropolitan area such as Los Angeles or Miami. Obviously salaries are variable and this may not be true for every case, but on an average scale: Is this true and what reason would you suggest for it?
 
Generally speaking, yes.

More demand out in the middle of nowhere. A general practitioner with decent business skills could bank $400k+ easy in the middle of Nebraska. A general practitioner would be lucky to break $200k practicing in LA or NY. Plus the cost of living is less in those rural areas (even more $$$ if you practice in rural TX or FL or another state with no state income tax).

Medicaid even pays more if your office is in a rural setting.
 
I read an article that said docs who live in small towns tend to earn much more than someone of the same specialty who lives in a major metropolitan area such as Los Angeles or Miami. Obviously salaries are variable and this may not be true for every case, but on an average scale: Is this true and what reason would you suggest for it?


If the small town is where hardly anyone wants to live, they have to make their offers more attractive to hook doctors. In the major areas...more doctors are willing/want to live there so they can offer them less.
 
Generally speaking, yes.

More demand out in the middle of nowhere. A general practitioner with decent business skills could bank $400k+ easy in the middle of Nebraska. A general practitioner would be lucky to break $200k practicing in LA or NY. Plus the cost of living is less in those rural areas (even more $$$ if you practice in rural TX or FL or another state with no state income tax).

Medicaid even pays more if your office is in a rural setting.

Uhhh........
 
Uhhh........

You forgot to bold the "with decent business skills" part.

Not to mention family practitioners can learn simple derm procedures and get a lot of revenue through that since not everyone is going to drive far to see a dermatologist.
 
Generally speaking, yes.

More demand out in the middle of nowhere. A general practitioner with decent business skills could bank $400k+ easy in the middle of Nebraska. A general practitioner would be lucky to break $200k practicing in LA or NY. Plus the cost of living is less in those rural areas (even more $$$ if you practice in rural TX or FL or another state with no state income tax).

Medicaid even pays more if your office is in a rural setting.

Come down to the Valley and let me know how Medicaid reimbursements are treat you. News alert: rural areas are not generally "swimming in cash."

http://www.themonitor.com/articles/valley-50170-program-physicians.html
 
I think we transcended from "decent" to "Faustian" level business skills around the 300k mark
 
A family friend who finished her IM residency this May was offered 300K at a rural hospital and 200K from an urban one.
 
I understood general practitioner to mean someone who completed a residency in family practice. With a residency in IM, it becomes a lot easier to believe getting around 300k in rural areas
 
Oh god I read the title to say: "Is it true that those who are in small towns eat more than those in big cities?" My thoughs..umm..I guess since they're bored and McDonalds is everywhere? lol WUT!?
 
Guys, it all comes down to prestige. Bottom line, being a doctor is prestigious.
 
Yes, less competition. That's like comparing a big name university to some suburban university. In a big city it is a lot easier to find employees.
 
I'm doing the rural route through my school, and had to do a rural elective. The course actually said a lot of small town docs will make a hair less, but it tends to be offset by the cost of living.
 
The important thing is that my skepticism was justified
 
completely irrelevant to the thread

What else is new?

The $$ a rural doctor makes means more than in an urban setting. A peds here is making bank with ~$250k (extremely successful private practice) and lives like a king. It's not always what you make, but where you make it.
 
completely irrelevant to the thread

How is it irrelevant? If you live out in farmville, USA you're not going to have the prestige of someone working in New York City.
 
How is it irrelevant? If you live out in farmville, USA you're not going to have the prestige of someone working in New York City.

Prestige is important but $$$ > prestige

Also NY sucks.
 
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