Procedures and minor surgery in family medicine

[adamanteus]

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Hi all, I'm kind of new to the world of family medicine, never having thought I would like it until I did an 8 week rotation with an incredibly passionate and caring physician who reminded me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Probably the biggest (but still minor) issue that I'm struggling with concerning going into family medicine is how much I love procedures. And surgery. I absolutely fell in love with doing surgeries during my surgery rotation, and I was really good at it, but there is no way in hades that I'm going to put myself and my wife/family through that hellish, soul-sucking residency. I wanted to ask what kind of potential invasive procedures are available for family medicine docs. And are there any options at all for surgery besides C/S?

In a perfect world, I'd like to do something like see patients 3 days a week for their checkups/follow ups/etc, and then dedicate 1-1.5 days per week on doing elective and cosmetic procedures, or even some minor surgery if possible. Is this possible...dunno. Might not be realistic, but I'd like to get an idea of what kind of options are out there as far as using my hands, and to what extent my skills can take me as a family doc (with or without additional "workshop-type" training). Does anyone know of a good list?

 

[ShenMeYiSi]

I'm really glad to see that someone else out there shares my sentiment! I'm an IMG and for so long had my heart set on Ob/Gyn. After doing an externship with a community program that I felt was borderline malignant, I sort of changed my mind. I saw the FM residents from other area programs come in and rotate through OB and they made it sound like with certain FM programs like theirs, you have the choice to get your fill of OB experience while you are still able to handle other aspects of medicine and patient populations, which I realized I enjoy. I too like procedures and I want to be able to have the option to learn and do them and would like the input of people who have such experience.

 

[Jwalker]

Anti aging stuff - botox, fillers, etc ... Extra workshop type training is needed

 

[trippenlatin]

Look into rural medicine. The dean from RVU gave a chat about this very thing and talk ed about his son who went to Nova doing what you want

 

[polloundurraga]

Hi all, I'm kind of new to the world of family medicine, never having thought I would like it until I did an 8 week rotation with an incredibly passionate and caring physician who reminded me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Probably the biggest (but still minor) issue that I'm struggling with concerning going into family medicine is how much I love procedures. And surgery. I absolutely fell in love with doing surgeries during my surgery rotation, and I was really good at it, but there is no way in hades that I'm going to put myself and my wife/family through that hellish, soul-sucking residency. I wanted to ask what kind of potential invasive procedures are available for family medicine docs. And are there any options at all for surgery besides C/S?

In a perfect world, I'd like to do something like see patients 3 days a week for their checkups/follow ups/etc, and then dedicate 1-1.5 days per week on doing elective and cosmetic procedures, or even some minor surgery if possible. Is this possible...dunno. Might not be realistic, but I'd like to get an idea of what kind of options are out there as far as using my hands, and to what extent my skills can take me as a family doc (with or without additional "workshop-type" training). Does anyone know of a good list?

Hi! I want to know what are you doing 2 years after your post. I'm a family medicine resident in Chile and I'd like to have training in minor surgery, but here we don't have places to learn it. Do you know any place where I could get more knowledge and practice?

Thanks!

 

[cabinbuilder]

I have one FP friend who bought a laser for hair removal and was very active in incorporating that into her practice. She did very well - cash only.
I have another friend who did botox injections.
Another friend who did minor liposuction procedures - the equipment was $100,000. He paid for it after the first 15-20 procedures. He was set up with the medical credit line folks so he always got his money.

 

[SqEdSaint]

.

 

[SqEdSaint]

I have one FP friend who bought a laser for hair removal and was very active in incorporating that into her practice. She did very well - cash only.
I have another friend who did botox injections.
Another friend who did minor liposuction procedures - the equipment was $100,000. He paid for it after the first 15-20 procedures. He was set up with the medical credit line folks so he always got his money.

Are your friends in private practice or working for a hospital? Is it possible to set up these cash-only procedures if you are working for a hospital? If you are in private practice, does your group decide whether to pursue this or as an individual doctor you get to make the call for yourself?

 

[cabinbuilder]

Are your friends in private practice or working for a hospital? Is it possible to set up these cash-only procedures if you are working for a hospital? If you are in private practice, does your group decide whether to pursue this or as an individual doctor you get to make the call for yourself?

They were all private practice. Whether you can do it if you work for an entity would be determined by your work contract. None of them worked in a group. They were true private, solo practice.

 

[Ericslv]

Hi all, I'm kind of new to the world of family medicine, never having thought I would like it until I did an 8 week rotation with an incredibly passionate and caring physician who reminded me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Probably the biggest (but still minor) issue that I'm struggling with concerning going into family medicine is how much I love procedures. And surgery. I absolutely fell in love with doing surgeries during my surgery rotation, and I was really good at it, but there is no way in hades that I'm going to put myself and my wife/family through that hellish, soul-sucking residency. I wanted to ask what kind of potential invasive procedures are available for family medicine docs. And are there any options at all for surgery besides C/S?

In a perfect world, I'd like to do something like see patients 3 days a week for their checkups/follow ups/etc, and then dedicate 1-1.5 days per week on doing elective and cosmetic procedures, or even some minor surgery if possible. Is this possible...dunno. Might not be realistic, but I'd like to get an idea of what kind of options are out there as far as using my hands, and to what extent my skills can take me as a family doc (with or without additional "workshop-type" training). Does anyone know of a good list?

You can do any procedure that you are trained to do. You can go and learn how to do hair transplants and start a hair clinic. It will cost you about 50K to learn it and another 200K to start the clinic. Just an example.

 

[NRAI2001]

There is a FM doctor at our hospital... all he does is assist in surgeries with many of the surgeons and ob/gyn docs... he's been doing that for 20 years and only that.

You could possibly set something up like that for a few days a week..

 

[NRAI2001]

I have one FP friend who bought a laser for hair removal and was very active in incorporating that into her practice. She did very well - cash only.
I have another friend who did botox injections.
Another friend who did minor liposuction procedures - the equipment was $100,000. He paid for it after the first 15-20 procedures. He was set up with the medical credit line folks so he always got his money.

How do you do minor liposuction?

 

[SilentCool]

There is a FM doctor at our hospital... all he does is assist in surgeries with many of the surgeons and ob/gyn docs... he's been doing that for 20 years and only that.

I'll bet he's mocked behind his back, too. All of that training to hold retractors for 20 years...?!? What a maroon!

 

[cabinbuilder]

I'll bet he's mocked behind his back, too. All of that training to hold retractors for 20 years...?!? What a maroon!

no not really. I have an IM friend who started doing ortho surgical assist. She made more money standing in the OR than all her hours rounding and in clinic. Don't mock what you don't know.

 

[cabinbuilder]

How do you do minor liposuction?

He kept it to chin, back fat, buttocks, thigh. No the abdomen due to blood supply there and risk. It comes down to what extra training you have and who your insurance company is and what they will cover if something goes wrong.

 

[Ericslv]

How do you do minor liposuction?

Minor lipo would be something like a submental lipo. Minimal removal of fat. But in my opinion no procedure should be thought as minor.

 

[Ericslv]

He kept it to chin, back fat, buttocks, thigh. No the abdomen due to blood supply there and risk. It comes down to what extra training you have and who your insurance company is and what they will cover if something goes wrong.

This is exactly right. Once you have your skills down you can move to the abdomen. But there is plenty of business for those other areas.

 

[Ericslv]

I'll bet he's mocked behind his back, too. All of that training to hold retractors for 20 years...?!? What a maroon!

I be he make double what a clinic FP makes. Retires in half the time and well you do the math.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I be he make double what a clinic FP makes. Retires in half the time and well you do the math.

I would kinda doubt it. Its possible, but that's less money the surgeon gets to keep from doing the surgery.

 

[Ericslv]

I would kinda doubt it. Its possible, but that's less money the surgeon gets to keep from doing the surgery.

Boring but laid back. You take no risk make good money.

 

[NRAI2001]

I'll bet he's mocked behind his back, too. All of that training to hold retractors for 20 years...?!? What a maroon!

Well not mocked... he doesn't really make a ton of money either (he said mid $100k's.. he was happy with that amount, he volunteered that info to me)..

Just saying if you want to be in the OR.. you could do that a few times a week..

 

[styphon]

What procedures are you interested in? If you are stuck on doing laparoscopic surgeries, then family medicine is not for you. I try to thing of major procedures I know local family medicine do: and it is C/S and colonoscopies. The rest of common family medicine procedures are usually clinic based.

You could always set up a cosmetic clinic. You could do botox, silicon injections, "coolsculpting", etc

 

[Ericslv]

What procedures are you interested in? If you are stuck on doing laparoscopic surgeries, then family medicine is not for you. I try to thing of major procedures I know local family medicine do: and it is C/S and colonoscopies. The rest of common family medicine procedures are usually clinic based.

You could always set up a cosmetic clinic. You could do botox, silicon injections, "coolsculpting", etc

It take on average of 250 to 400K to start a cosmetic clinic.