Just a Quick Question

[badassy]

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I'm in my first year of college right now. I have a strong desire to pursue an education in medicine. From what I've seen the field of psychiatry seems to be quite interesting and one of the most diverse specialities in the medical community.

I read alot of posts on this forum and many of you talk about setting up and starting your own practice. How come psychiatrists dont opt to work for the hospital? It seems as if it is a less popular choice. I was just wondering why..

Thanks

 

[Adam_K]

I'm in my first year of college right now. I have a strong desire to pursue an education in medicine. From what I've seen the field of psychiatry seems to be quite interesting and one of the most diverse specialities in the medical community.

I read alot of posts on this forum and many of you talk about setting up and starting your own practice. How come psychiatrists dont opt to work for the hospital? It seems as if it is a less popular choice. I was just wondering why..

Thanks

Well, since you seem to be from T.O., let me put it in these terms.

Where would you rather practise and why?

At St. Michael's Hospital downtown with its attendant indigent patient population or in your own office on West St. Clair treating middle class patients?

Compensation is roughly the same.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

I'm in my first year of college right now. I have a strong desire to pursue an education in medicine. From what I've seen the field of psychiatry seems to be quite interesting and one of the most diverse specialities in the medical community.

I read alot of posts on this forum and many of you talk about setting up and starting your own practice. How come psychiatrists dont opt to work for the hospital? It seems as if it is a less popular choice. I was just wondering why..

Thanks

I work inpatient for 50% (theoretical--it's more like 60% actual!) of my time. I happen to like it. I hated it as a resident, but it's quite different as an attending, where you have more of a team leader/supervisory role.

 

[badassy]

Well, since you seem to be from T.O., let me put it in these terms.

Where would you rather practise and why?

At St. Michael's Hospital downtown with its attendant indigent patient population or in your own office on West St. Clair treating middle class patients?

Compensation is roughly the same.

Isn't there alot of overhead costs in running your own office? Especially at that area you mentioned. Thats almost in the heart of downtown isn't it?

If you worked at a hospital wouldn't you have less things to worry about? Less costs? Less stress? It seems very costly to setup your own office, unless its in your house like the movie Analyze This/That

 

[Adam_K]

Isn't there alot of overhead costs in running your own office? Especially at that area you mentioned. Thats almost in the heart of downtown isn't it?

If you worked at a hospital wouldn't you have less things to worry about? Less costs? Less stress? It seems very costly to setup your own office, unless its in your house like the movie Analyze This/That

I think that I oversimplified the situation quite a bit.

You are absolutely correct in pointing out the advantages of having someone pay for your overhead.

However, it comes with a price. You have much less control over your workload, workstyle or patient population.

Hospital work can consist of inpatient, emergency, consultation or outpatient psychiatry. An office based psychiatrist usually almost exclusively focuses on outpatients.

Not only that, but as I tried to point out above, the patient population is very different. The inner city hospital serves a very poor, marginalised population which has very significant social and medical needs in addition to mental illness.

The office based psychiatrists will see much "healthier" patients with fewer comorbidities.