Mohs versus Gen Derm Lifestyle (Call schedules)

[agent001]

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What is the lifestyle/work-life balance of a Mohs surgeon versus a general dermatologist? I am a resident and have been looking at jobs in Gen Derm and most have no call. I've met a few Mohs surgeons who are on call all the time since they are the only one in their practice. Is that fairly typical? How do people travel on the weekend spontaneously or have a few drinks with friends without the worry of having to be called. Or in the end is it pretty similar to gen derm? Thanks in advance!

 

[asmallchild]

What is the lifestyle/work-life balance of a Mohs surgeon versus a general dermatologist? I am a resident and have been looking at jobs in Gen Derm and most have no call. I've met a few Mohs surgeons who are on call all the time since they are the only one in their practice. Is that fairly typical? How do people travel on the weekend spontaneously or have a few drinks with friends without the worry of having to be called. Or in the end is it pretty similar to gen derm? Thanks in advance!

It will always be tougher for a Mohs surgeon (or someone who runs a heavily procedural/surgical clinic). It's not interventional cardiology hard but it will be worse than that of general derm.

If you are the only Mohs surgeon in your group, then of course, you will be on call all the time for surgical issues (your gen derm colleagues may take pooled call but they will not be the ones returning to clinic to stop a bleeder for you)

I find most of the issues that I get from Mohs patients can be resolved over the phone. If an issue is urgent enough to require me returning to clinic, I would prefer to handle it myself anyway. Some of my colleagues will have a midlevel cover all their call for them but I've never felt comfortable doing so. I am part of a large multispecialty group so if I'm going to be out of town for a longer period of time, I do have surgical colleagues that I can rely on. I have other colleagues who will take home call but any more significant issues get bumped to the ED/urgent care (they typically lose the patient afterwards as patients really do not like this). Or stay in academics and have the residents field your calls 🙂