Marketability for job switching

[megan1010]

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If you do inpatient for a couple years, is it hard to get an outpatient job? Is it hard to switch in between the two? What makes someone more marketable?

I’ve seen people switch between the two but mostly when they’re within the same institution. Or people who did a bit of everything and narrowed in over time. But not one that was 100% inpatient for years switch to an outpatient heavy job and not the other way around.

Any stories or experiences anyone has would be great.

 

[lejeunesage]

Places tend to assume that you can get back up to speed if you switch. What changes is your own comfort level. Can I do EMG today? No. It was one of my favorite things in residency but to say that I'm rusty today would be a gross understatement.

Can I tell you about the extensor compartments of the wrist without looking it up? No.

I would need to do a whole lot of relearning to remember the course of the upper extremity nerves and the potential entrapment sites. What's happened is that I know a whole bunch of medical management but the range of proper ortho/rehab things I know well has shrunk. I would not want to hire me as an outpatient physiatrist right now.

There's probably a similar feeling for people who started doing outpatient a long time ago. They'd have to consult IM for the simplest things.
The only people I know who do both inpatient and outpatient are the people who never stopped doing both. If you specialize, especially early in your career, you tend to stay on the path you've chosen.

 

[Momentum70]

Im unsure about switching from inpatient to outpatient but I can tell you about the other way. My first job out of residency was outpatient and I did that for 6 years. I had trouble when I wanted to switch back to inpatient and many places wanted me to have hospital privileges and/or inpatient experience within the last 2-5 years depending on location. I finally found a rural location that it didnt matter when my last inpatient patient encounter was obtained. I also know from doing locums that you have to have done the procedure/patient type within last 2 years. After doing 3 1/2 years of inpatient I did some locums and could only do inpatient with them as I had not continued outpt.

Short version is that it can be done but much harder and you are less competitive candidate as you get further from last time you did things.

 

[sloh]

many places wanted me to have hospital privileges and/or inpatient experience within the last 2-5 years depending on location.

Even for encompass?

 

[Dansk2011]

I started pain out of training (fellowship trained) then transitioned to inpatient for 2 years because of a stupid non-compete. Ultimately my family moved and I took a job doing outpatient with some inpatient coverage and call. Now after a year at the same institution I do a mix of interventional pain, general outpatient, and inpatient coverage with inpatient call. I also relearned to do emgs after not having done them for a few years because of hospital need, although would say I'm still very much learning. So long story short you can transition. I am in an area that is considered "rural", although it's really not truly rural so likely played a factor in my ability to do everything. Ultimately doing everything has made work less monotonous and likely very marketable going forward if need be.

 

[Momentum70]

Even for encompass?

I ended up at an encompass partnership hospital.