question- rad onc career

[xyz07]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

now that the residency match is over-- i am curious as to why all of us express our intention to enter academics when we interview, yet only a small percentage actually do when residency is completed? do most candidates just flat out lie about this, or do they have a change of heart sometimes during residency. what are the reasons most people eventually choose private practice? please enlighten me.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

Money.

 

[G'ville Nole]

The purely mathematical reason is that there are easily more private jobs available than academic jobs.

I think it's unnecessarily pejorative to say most candidates flat out lie. Keep in mind that virtually all of the rad onc residency training programs are at academic centers, and applicants understand that academicians like to be told how great academic medicine is. It shouldn't be difficult for an applicant to stress aspects of his/her application which are in keeping with an academic mission, even if they're 97% certain they're going to do private practice. This isn't "flat out lying", but it is playing the game to a certain extent.

And yes, some truly intend to do academics and have a change of heart. I've actually gone the opposite way, and am starting to give more consideration to academics. But the underlying reality behind you're question is simply one of numbers.

 

[G'ville Nole]

Money.

Well, yeah, those numbers, too.

 

[Impressions]

I think one of the main reasons rad onc (like derm, rads, etc.) has become so attractive to medical students over the years is lifestyle--And private practice is more conducive to that.

 

[stephew]

private practice is not really that much more conducive to a good lifestyle. its mostly money issues and someone not wanting to be a publishing/research and teaching person.

folks PLEASE only use the impressions account for issues that require more privacy or it WILL be inactivated.

 

[Thaiger75]

private practice is not really that much more conducive to a good lifestyle. its mostly money issues and someone not wanting to be a publishing/research and teaching person. .

Would anybody agree/disagree that being in academia, in general, requires more work (ie. publishing, writing grants for some, etc) outside of the normal work day (ie. weekends)?

Being in private practice, of course, still requires you to keep up to date with the current literature and trends of practice...and your workday is loaded and loaded with high volume patients...but that in private practice...there's less work-related pressures and responsibilities that carry over to off-duty time.

 

[stephew]

in theory yes. in practice it depends. high money making places can work their docs hard (still nothing like in patient fields). And some academic places are pretty light.