Naive Question

[shnuffles]

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Just wondering...I've heard the rumor that anesthesiologists have a pretty good "lifestyle." How is this? An anesthesiologist needs to be there for every surgery. So why are surgeons known for having notoriously more demanding hours? Am I missing something?

 

[Ben Hur 17]

No clinic or rounds!

 

[shnuffles]

Ah of course. But equal amounts of call?

 

[CaliforniaBound]

The call is not usually the same. Unless the residency program is extremely small or void of any cRNA's then the call is usually divided between all residents and averages 3-4 a month with a usual 2 maybe 3 weekends off a month. Your post call day is usually off and some programs even get you out early from the O.R. on your pre call and post call days.

Anesthesia residents work hard but not grueling/cruel hours like other specialities. Plus we're all pretty laid back and relaxed!

 

[doozenberg]

Ah of course. But equal amounts of call?

Are you talking about lifestyle in residency or beyond residency in practice?

From what I know as a prospective anesthesia resident having just interviewed, call is usually less frequent for anesthesia residents assigned to a typical OR month than surgery residents assigned to a typical inpatient surgical month. Anesthesia residents generally don't need to round on all their patients at the beginning and end of the day. There are exceptions of course, like ICU months when schedules are similar.

In practice, my understanding is that things are much more variable depending on what type of setting you're in and how much you really want to work/earn. Lots of options out there.

 

[shnuffles]

Are you talking about lifestyle in residency or beyond residency in practice?

From what I know as a prospective anesthesia resident having just interviewed, call is usually less frequent for anesthesia residents assigned to a typical OR month than surgery residents assigned to a typical inpatient surgical month. Anesthesia residents generally don't need to round on all their patients at the beginning and end of the day. There are exceptions of course, like ICU months when schedules are similar.

In practice, my understanding is that things are much more variable depending on what type of setting you're in and how much you really want to work/earn. Lots of options out there.

Thanks for the responses! I was especially interested in post-residency. Never understood how that worked. Are some practices more like shift-work?

 

[RxBoy]

Thanks for the responses! I was especially interested in post-residency. Never understood how that worked. Are some practices more like shift-work?

Extremely variable.

If you want to be an attending at a major hospital, then you cover call with other attendings. Anywhere from q3 to q15 depending on the job. More call usually means bigger salaries.

You want to work at an outpatient surgical center, then you are talking about shift work with no call. Out after the last case.

If you do pain (requires fellowship), you can join an outpatient pain partnership. Typical office hours with no call.. Unless they cover inpatient pain as well.

You can even do locum tenens, which is like a "rent-a-doc".

It basically boils down to, whats more valuable to you... money or time off. If its time off, you can take a shift job. If its money, you can work your ass off.

Last option is academics... you work your ass off and make less money... But you can go to sleep knowing you made a difference.

 

[panetrain]

I almost barfed when I read that last line
RxBoy, I would like to see if you feel the same way about academic attendings 2 years from now!

Extremely variable.

If you want to be an attending at a major hospital, then you cover call with other attendings. Anywhere from q3 to q15 depending on the job. More call usually means bigger salaries.

You want to work at an outpatient surgical center, then you are talking about shift work with no call. Out after the last case.

If you do pain (requires fellowship), you can join an outpatient pain partnership. Typical office hours with no call.. Unless they cover inpatient pain as well.

You can even do locum tenens, which is like a "rent-a-doc".

It basically boils down to, whats more valuable to you... money or time off. If its time off, you can take a shift job. If its money, you can work your ass off.

Last option is academics... you work your ass off and make less money... But you can go to sleep knowing you made a difference.

 

[RxBoy]

I almost barfed when I read that last line
RxBoy, I would like to see if you feel the same way about academic attendings 2 years from now!

I figured you have to give them some type of credit.... Reduced pay + long hours = Some type of benefit... I figured maybe that was it. Otherwise I still don't see the light.

 

[huktonfonix]

I figured you have to give them some type of credit.... Reduced pay + long hours = Some type of benefit... I figured maybe that was it. Otherwise I still don't see the light.

dont know what youre sniffin bro, but most of the academic attendings I know work way less than the PP ones unless theyre in a surgicenter. They do get paid less although most places offer a pretty decent benefits package.

 

[Dryacku]

The reality it as an anesthesia attending (esp in academic center) you may work hard but you are rarely in the OR unless something is not going right, your inducing or waking up or in a practice where you are in the OR (far and few). Also when your done your done.... go home crack a brew and enjoy your other life (which many other docs cant do)

As an attending and many times as a resident you are the one who everyone turns to when "ohh **** the patients crashing" doesnt happen all the time but you most likely are the only one at that time that can help the patient

Doing anesthesia is like being a pilot the take off (induction) and the landing (the wake up) are usually the most important times and then you have your occasion birds flying you into your engines and youve got to land in the hudson (aka the surgeon poking the aorta to hard) and thats when you become important again

 

[CambieMD]

Extremely variable.

If you want to be an attending at a major hospital, then you cover call with other attendings. Anywhere from q3 to q15 depending on the job. More call usually means bigger salaries.

You want to work at an outpatient surgical center, then you are talking about shift work with no call. Out after the last case.

If you do pain (requires fellowship), you can join an outpatient pain partnership. Typical office hours with no call.. Unless they cover inpatient pain as well.

You can even do locum tenens, which is like a "rent-a-doc".

It basically boils down to, whats more valuable to you... money or time off. If its time off, you can take a shift job. If its money, you can work your ass off.

Last option is academics... you work your ass off and make less money... But you can go to sleep knowing you made a difference.

Academics may not pay as much as pp but I am not suffering and I am not working off anything but my student loans.

Cambie

 

[Lonestar]

I joined a private group. I am on call Q4 with every 4th weekend (friday, sat, sun). Most days come in at 6:30. On call days usually run until 5:30-6:00 pm with beeper call from home afterwards. Post-call off after 7:00 AM. Non-call days run from 6:30 to 2-3 pm.
Also, every 4th week is off. So can't complain.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dryacku]

Without being to specific how much do you get paid and maybe what state?

I joined a private group. I am on call Q4 with every 4th weekend (friday, sat, sun). Most days come in at 6:30. On call days usually run until 5:30-6:00 pm with beeper call from home afterwards. Post-call off after 7:00 AM. Non-call days run from 6:30 to 2-3 pm.
Also, every 4th week is off. So can't complain.

Hope this helps.

 

[panetrain]

Many people will answer this question with "look on gaswork.com". I have personally had recruiters tell me that they post bogus jobs on gaswork and other such websites just to have applicants reply only to have them entered into their data bass of potential clients. If you run across a gas job posted online that is in a desirable location and pays well chances are it is one of these decoys. Anesthesia is currently saturated in all the desirable cities to live in the US. Just keep thin is mind when looking at online jobs.

Without being to specific how much do you get paid and maybe what state?