Psychiatry consulting

[worriedwell]

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Was wondering if anyone knew if this was a feasible supplement to one's clinical career in psychiatry?

Can you as a psychiatrist do part time consulting?

What does this entail?

How/when do you get into it?

What are the economic and intellectual incentives, if any?

Anybody have knowledge or opinions?

 

[prominence]

who would you consult for?

 

[worriedwell]

Prominence,

If this question is directed at me, I'll answer by saying...I have the same question. I understand some doctors do healthcare consulting and I hear the phrase and it sounds interesting, but I don't know what the heck they do and who they do it for and how they get those jobs! This is why I started the thread. But it seems like not a lot of people here have much to say about it. Oh well.

 

[Anasazi23]

I don't know what the hell this exactly means...but apparently there are various jobs out there for consulting.

The common meaning of the work, I think, is for pharmaceutical companies.

Here is a link to a website describing physician consulting.

Here is a quoted list of stuff they report:

Nine categories and 41 activities where a Physician Consultant can bring Value

Adapted from What Color is Your Parachute? Robert N. Bolles (Ten Speed Press)

1. Research

Identify suppliers
Identify target markets or users for ideas or products
Identify talent
Identify experts
Identify commercial possibilities for ideas or concepts
Assess the public mood
Examine political realities
Trace problems, ideas to their source

2. Invent

Create commercial possibilities for abstract ideas or concepts
Design events
Improve on others ideas
Update others' ideas
Adapt others' ideas


3. Communicate

Arbitrate disputes
Negotiate agreements
Terminate people/projects/processes
Translate jargon
Help others express views
Help others clarify goals and values
Handle difficult people
Interview

4. Motivate

Sell an idea, program, or course of action to decision makers
Raise capital for nonprofit institutions
Raise capital for business ventures
Recruit leadership
Direct creative talent

5. Analyze

Classify data
Perceive and define cause-and-effect relationships

6. Synthesize

Summarize
Asses people's needs
Extract the essence from large quantities of data

7. Evaluate

Assess monetary value
Judge people's effectiveness
Identify and assess other's potential
Analyze communication situations

8. Recommend

Suggest experts
Suggest suppliers
Allocate scarce resources

9. Forecast

Plan financial matters
Predict obsolescence

After you have reviewed the list once, read through it again and picture yourself in different client scenarios. The scenario might be a healthcare system, a pharmaceutical firm, a physician group practice, a technology or device company, an insurance company, a medical publications company, a health venture firm, or any number of other healthcare or non-healthcare related organizations.

Going through the list is also helpful for physicians who are contemplating career change out of clinical practice. What resonates with you as you read through the list? If you can identify one or two categories that say "that's me!" then you have taken a giant step forward in making a transition. For more guidance on career transition, check out our home study guide, Physician's Definitive Guide to Career Transition

 

[whopper]

I think the real answer depends on the availability in your immediate area. For example, I think in urban areas where there are large hospitals, with several patients that have some type of psychiatric issue, a psychiatrist will be in high demand for whatever services he or she can offer.

As the population goes down, there will be more and more required structure in the employment.

The hospital I currently work in is a community hospital, and they need part time consult people for weekends (who will also cover inpatient units or ER on a limited basis).

Several family practices I've seen want a psychiatrist or psychologist for consulting on their particularly tougher cases.

What does it entail?

Well I'm sure by the time you're halfway through residency you would've done quite a few consults. You'll know the answer way before it gets to the point where you'll need to decide on your career path but in short--
consults in hospitals focus on commitments, capacity, continuing an already existing treatment, drug abuse & withdrawal and diagnosing a possible psychiatric disorder not already diagnosed.