KetamineDreams
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2024
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Hello All,
I'm a CA3 who has started my job search and need some guidance regarding a few options. Unfortunately, I am geographically locked in due to my spouse's job so the options are limited. These 2 jobs seem to the best I can find currently.
Job 1: Private practice, 1099 approx. 550-600K a year for 50 hour work week (probably closer to 55-60 factoring in commute), on call 4 x a month, 1 weekend a month. Healthy OB, no trauma. In house call. Sit own cases. Commute 45 min to an hour in the evening. Work day 6am-5pm on average. 8 weeks vacation. Decent mix of case breadth and complexity. NO peds (not sure if good or bad). Production and performance pressure.
Job 2: Academic working primarily at non main campus site. W2 400K a year (ehh) for 40 hour work week. On call once a month. Can take an extra call or 2 to bring up FTEs and hit around 500K. Commute 30 minutes. Healthy OB as well. Yes trauma. In house call. Average work day 630-330pm. 50% sit own cases, 50% CRNA/resident. 4 weeks vacation (ehhh). Decent mix of case breadth and complexity. Some healthy peds (may become no peds as they expand their peds department). Less production and performance pressure.
Personally, I am a hard worker and love doing anesthesia so I find myself taking on a lot of late shifts and weekend coverage for extra money in residency. Knowing this about myself, I am tempted to pursue a job that does not incentivize working more (i.e. 40 hour a week academic). I've spent most of my 20's in medical school and residency and I want to prioritize personal and social development more once I am an attending.
However, I can't help but shake the feeling that I am getting completely fleeced by academic hospital for this salary. I know the work week is cush, but as I understand it 400K is well below market value for an anesthesiologist in 2024. And if I pick up a few more calls, it kind of defeats the purpose since now the job is no longer chill, and I am working close to the same I would have at private practice for less money.
On the other hand, private practice commute is not great, and I am not sure how happy I would be driving 45 minutes to an hour to get home everyday. I think the academic job has very good health insurance benefits, where you essentially do not pay for medical care as long as it is through their system. Unfortunately this benefit is currently worthless to me because I have no pre-existing conditions and am a healthy 29 year old. Then there is also the atrocious 4 weeks of academic vacation. Is being home by 330pm every day and taking minimal call worth 150-200K? I am really having trouble quantifying... which job would you take?
I'm a CA3 who has started my job search and need some guidance regarding a few options. Unfortunately, I am geographically locked in due to my spouse's job so the options are limited. These 2 jobs seem to the best I can find currently.
Job 1: Private practice, 1099 approx. 550-600K a year for 50 hour work week (probably closer to 55-60 factoring in commute), on call 4 x a month, 1 weekend a month. Healthy OB, no trauma. In house call. Sit own cases. Commute 45 min to an hour in the evening. Work day 6am-5pm on average. 8 weeks vacation. Decent mix of case breadth and complexity. NO peds (not sure if good or bad). Production and performance pressure.
Job 2: Academic working primarily at non main campus site. W2 400K a year (ehh) for 40 hour work week. On call once a month. Can take an extra call or 2 to bring up FTEs and hit around 500K. Commute 30 minutes. Healthy OB as well. Yes trauma. In house call. Average work day 630-330pm. 50% sit own cases, 50% CRNA/resident. 4 weeks vacation (ehhh). Decent mix of case breadth and complexity. Some healthy peds (may become no peds as they expand their peds department). Less production and performance pressure.
Personally, I am a hard worker and love doing anesthesia so I find myself taking on a lot of late shifts and weekend coverage for extra money in residency. Knowing this about myself, I am tempted to pursue a job that does not incentivize working more (i.e. 40 hour a week academic). I've spent most of my 20's in medical school and residency and I want to prioritize personal and social development more once I am an attending.
However, I can't help but shake the feeling that I am getting completely fleeced by academic hospital for this salary. I know the work week is cush, but as I understand it 400K is well below market value for an anesthesiologist in 2024. And if I pick up a few more calls, it kind of defeats the purpose since now the job is no longer chill, and I am working close to the same I would have at private practice for less money.
On the other hand, private practice commute is not great, and I am not sure how happy I would be driving 45 minutes to an hour to get home everyday. I think the academic job has very good health insurance benefits, where you essentially do not pay for medical care as long as it is through their system. Unfortunately this benefit is currently worthless to me because I have no pre-existing conditions and am a healthy 29 year old. Then there is also the atrocious 4 weeks of academic vacation. Is being home by 330pm every day and taking minimal call worth 150-200K? I am really having trouble quantifying... which job would you take?