Is The Sky Falling?

[Brass_Monkey]

I hate to sound alarmist, but here goes....

A month or so ago, there were in excess of 800 jobs posted on Gaswork.com. Now there are less than 600. Yikes!! Is this the mid-'90s revisited? Man, I sure hope not.


Take this into careful consideration though, folks.

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[VentdependenT]

Gas works is indeed the entire job market en total.

 

[TofuBalls]

Wow! Talk about luck! I am just 6 months from becoming a CA-3 so I still have time to switch specialties. I guess I'll tell the two job offers I already have no thanks! Thanks again for helping to save me from a dying specialty! I hope I still remember how to use ERAS...

P.S. To help some of the chicken littles out there, I'll start posting all of the 1-800 numbers I get from head hunters on my pager at least once a day.

 

[Brass_Monkey]

Hey gang, I didn't mean to sound alarmist and I apologize if I came off sounding that way. It was my intention to stimulate a discussion in regards to the current/future job market. I thought it was a little disconcerting to see the number of jobs available drop so significantly in such a short time period. I certainly don't need a bunch of smart-ass replies. VD, don't take that tone with Dr. Rothenberg or he'll chew you up and spit you out!

Just wanted to see what others thought; for the future anesthesiologists of course.

Peace out..........

 

[bigfrank]

Hey gang, I didn't mean to sound alarmist and I apologize if I came off sounding that way. It was my intention to stimulate a discussion in regards to the current/future job market. I thought it was a little disconcerting to see the number of jobs available drop so significantly in such a short time period. I certainly don't need a bunch of smart-ass replies. VD, don't take that tone with Dr. Rothenberg or he'll chew you up and spit you out!

Just wanted to see what others thought; for the future anesthesiologists of course.

Peace out..........

Contrary to these 2 above posters, Brass_Monkey, anesthesiology's job market is indeed tightening up a bit. Talk to some residents at your school and see if they're going to make $350K for 45 hours of work/week.

C'mon, guys, if anesthesiology was really this golden, then so many FMG's and DO's wouldn't be able to match so easily every year. This is nothing against these groups, but it is a fact that the most competitive specialties (i.e., high salary w/ excellent lifestyle) generally have their pick of US-MDs.

 

[TofuBalls]

Contrary to these 2 above posters, Brass_Monkey, anesthesiology's job market is indeed tightening up a bit. Talk to some residents at your school and see if they're going to make $350K for 45 hours of work/week.

C'mon, guys, if anesthesiology was really this golden, then so many FMG's and DO's wouldn't be able to match so easily every year. This is nothing against these groups, but it is a fact that the most competitive specialties (i.e., high salary w/ excellent lifestyle) generally have their pick of US-MDs.

I will agree with BF only to the extent that you will not make the really big bucks without being prepared to work for it. 45 hr/week is more of a wet dream than a reality.

I do take major exception with the generalization made about DO's. In my program we have DO's in every class. They are by far some of our strongest residents both academically and technically. Of course, I am only talking from experience and not prejudice.

When I was a 4th year medical student a pulmonologist told me I would be a fool to apply to anesthesiology, recalling the events of the early nineties. That said, I am way happier now in anesthesia than any rotation in medical school. Do what you like and hopefully like what you do. If you have any hesitation about the GAS, go do something else... we'll be just fine! I promise.

TB

 

[UTSouthwestern]

After doing 15 job interviews, just don't see the tightening of the belts that everyone has been talking about. Some of those positions ARE the dream $400K+/year working 50 hours a week. One is $750K+, but you will work 70+ hours/week.

Still, I'm sure things will tighten up over the next 10 years, but if you're good, the groups will make room for you.

 

[timtye78]

Contrary to these 2 above posters, Brass_Monkey, anesthesiology's job market is indeed tightening up a bit. Talk to some residents at your school and see if they're going to make $350K for 45 hours of work/week.

C'mon, guys, if anesthesiology was really this golden, then so many FMG's and DO's wouldn't be able to match so easily every year. This is nothing against these groups, but it is a fact that the most competitive specialties (i.e., high salary w/ excellent lifestyle) generally have their pick of US-MDs.

There will always be work and plenty of it. Of course, there will be waves with some dips along the way. That's life. We were told in medical school that every day 50,000 people turn 50 years old. Diabetes, and obesity plague the US. I see new outpatient surgery centers and small specialty hospitals opening up all the time here in the OK area and also in TX. Compensation may wane, but the volume will be there.

Yes you have the DOs pegged...they are just miserable as gas and em docs...barely surviving! Every DO student just ponders and ponders."...gee, what would my life have been like if we were an MD?..." Newsflash, every year DOs obtain more and more competitive slots in the MD world, and they are doing just fine.

All your so-called 'pick of the US MDs' move to these other spots eg optho so all the 'little' DOs can get what they wanted all along. btw there are plenty of MD students that want gas as well. Everyone wins! I find it so ironic working with residents from other specialties every day that were supposedly so desirable and now I am so glad my aspirations, checked by the reality of my grades (hehe) were different.

(climbing off my soapbox, dodging flying objects )

 

[VentdependenT]

Contrary to these 2 above posters, Brass_Monkey, anesthesiology's job market is indeed tightening up a bit. Talk to some residents at your school and see if they're going to make $350K for 45 hours of work/week.

C'mon, guys, if anesthesiology was really this golden, then so many FMG's and DO's wouldn't be able to match so easily every year. This is nothing against these groups, but it is a fact that the most competitive specialties (i.e., high salary w/ excellent lifestyle) generally have their pick of US-MDs.

You have to be joking with the DO/FMG comment buddy. Fairly ignominious statement for this board. DO's are slippin in everywhere. Us greasy bastards.

I still don't have any idea what I would do in the medical field without anesthesia so salary drops are somewhat of a moot point. Loans ensure continued interest in medicine no matter what happens over the next 10 years.

 

[Willamette]

You have to be joking with the DO/FMG comment buddy. Fairly ignominious statement for this board. DO's are slippin in everywhere. Us greasy bastards.

Dood...you crack me up on an almost weekly basis. I have to admit though, your princely avatar has me halfway to a chuckle by itself. You greasy bastard.


Willamette

 

[Krafty]

C'mon, guys, if anesthesiology was really this golden, then so many FMG's and DO's wouldn't be able to match so easily every year.

Bull.

Look at the number of spots (did you miss those posts?). How do you fill the 1300 biotches a year.

Limit the hate to the red states.
New concept.
Tolerance.
Get some.

And Happy Holidays.

 

[deleted9493]

I know relatively little of the field but if what I perceive of it matches reality, I don't care if the sky is falling in anesthesiology or not. I'll take half the pay any day to be doing something I love rather than be making twice as much and hating life.

While I agree that one has to be financially mindful, it seems as though these specialty debates/concerns always come back to this idea that renumeration for patient care is more a right than a privilege. I guess it is both but to remove emphasis from one is to make your outlook on medicine respectively impersonable or unrealistic.

 

[bigfrank]

I know relatively little of the field but if what I perceive of it matches reality, I don't care if the sky is falling in anesthesiology or not. I'll take half the pay any day to be doing something I love rather than be making twice as much and hating life.

And you'll always be happy in the field. Congratulations on choosing a field for the love of it rather than the theoretical/expected compensation.

 

[timtye78]

After doing 15 job interviews, just don't see the tightening of the belts that everyone has been talking about. Some of those positions ARE the dream $400K+/year working 50 hours a week. One is $750K+, but you will work 70+ hours/week.

Still, I'm sure things will tighten up over the next 10 years, but if you're good, the groups will make room for you.

Congratulations, Norm! Sounds like things are going well.
Happy new year!

 

[hoyden]

Happy New Year to everybody !

Guys, I have some question, regarding future job market.
I've been pediatric anesthesiologist and want to become one again. It's 5 years ahead for me. Just want to know - do private groups hire subspecialty specified ones or are there groups like that, or do they prefere general practitioners? Maybe you can post some links here which can provide the info.
I'm not familiar with the situation and do not know where to start for search.
Thanks in advance.

 

[UTSouthwestern]

Congratulations, Norm! Sounds like things are going well.
Happy new year!

Gettin tired of interviewing but definitely worth the time to become knowledgeable with all of the business models out there. Also just great to meet some truly fantastic physicians.