Ortho Lifestyle

[McAllenHopeful]

Can you do ortho and work 40-50 hours/week (of course after residency)? My family comes first, and I want to choose a profession where I'm capable of putting them first and still having a good career. I'm thinking Peds Ortho or Sports Medicine. Any ortho specialties where its less demanding than others?

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[dawg44]

foot and ankle and sports would be your best bets.
Peds ortho absolutely sucks in the summer.

 

[McAllenHopeful]

foot and ankle and sports would be your best bets.
Peds ortho absolutely sucks in the summer.

Why does Peds Ortho suck in the summer?

 

[RxnMan]

Why does Peds Ortho suck in the summer?

Because that's when the children with cerebral palsy are able to come to clinic (and schedule surgeries) in time to rehab before school starts in the fall.

That only sucks if you don't like kids.

 

[aishel]

Why does Peds Ortho suck in the summer?

Because school lets out and thats when they get their surgeries

 

[dobonedoc]

It is also the time when kids are out of school, playing until dark, and falling off of everything - thus lots of broken things.

 

[lattimer13]

so how about going back to the OP original question? what's lifestyle like once finished w/ residency? #hrs week, call?

 

[dobonedoc]

It's all in the contract . . .

Let's say you join a major health system, agree to work so many hours each week, get your 3-4 weeks of vacation, and take home what ever they have offered. You might take call once a week, give or take. You probably have a good chance of working 40-50 hours each week - a little extra to wrap up paper work, call might bug you once in a while.

Contrast that to being in solo practice, or buy into a partnership. The sky is the limit. If you are free of heafty student loans, or are happy living on a modest budget, I'd imagine you could do just fine on fewer hours. If you have an early retirement plan, and are striving to set the world ablaze, you'll work 'till you drop.

In the university setting, where there is no incentive to work more than required, most attendings put in 40/week. Part of that seems to be spent staring at something on the computer.

In private practice, I've seen attendings put in 40-50. They drive nice cars.

I've also seen guys put in 60, 70, and more. They make serious cash. Too bad they're paying half of it to an ex-wife, and are never home to enjoy the Italian marble in their entrance way.

 

[M. Platini]

I've also seen guys put in 60, 70, and more. They make serious cash. Too bad they're paying half of it to an ex-wife, and are never home to enjoy the Italian marble in their entrance way.

From what I've learned that seems to be the total truth, dobonedoc. Some specialties that are known to make excellent livings are indeed extremely satisfying to do. It seems to me that the large salaries, apart from derm, come from the extra time and energy spent at the job albeit at a job they really thrive at.

For me, time at home with the wife and kids is so important to me that I figure I'll end up doing really good work for the hours that I do work, but in the end making certainly less than others. It somewhat tames the urge to get into a well paying field because I know I'm only going to work a certain amount anyway, and probably won't go after the Italian marble. Of course, in the end you'll still make more money for those hours that you do work if you do a well paying field, maybe a Porsche instead of a Cadillac or a M5 instead of a 540i.

 

[OB/GYN Sim]

It's all in the contract . . .

Contrast that to being in solo practice, or buy into a partnership. The sky is the limit. If you are free of heafty student loans, or are happy living on a modest budget, I'd imagine you could do just fine on fewer hours. If you have an early retirement plan, and are striving to set the world ablaze, you'll work 'till you drop.


I've also seen guys put in time with a Spine specialty. They make serious cash. and come home to enjoy the Italian marble in their entrance way.

This Sounds like a better quote to me as i will be most likely completing a spine fellowship after resedency.