Rheumatologist

[deleted421268]

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Where do most Rheumatologist work? Private Practice??? What are the pros and cons of this subspecialty.

 

[Brachyury]

Where do most Rheumatologist work? Private Practice??? What are the pros and cons of this subspecialty.

Cons: the pay is not much better than what you would make as a hospitalist

Pros: your patients will worship you, and 95%+ of you patients are compliant (this is a testament to how horrible SLE and RA are that rheum patients will do anything to alleviate their symptoms). Rheum also doesn't really have call

If you want to go into PP, you do a two year fellowship after your IM residency; if you want to do academics, you'll do a three year fellowship after your IM residency

 

[Instatewaiter]

More Pros-the disease and treatments are complex, most other docs will basically throw their hands up at the mention of severe rheum disease, the patients tend to be nice, and it is almost all outpatient (could be a con).

 

[Brachyury]

Another pro or con is that a majority of your patients will be female: RA, SLE, 'fibromyalgia,' and osteoporosis disproportionately afflict women

 

[jdh71]

Cons: the pay is not much better than what you would make as a hospitalist

Pros: your patients will worship you, and 95%+ of you patients are compliant (this is a testament to how horrible SLE and RA are that rheum patients will do anything to alleviate their symptoms). Rheum also doesn't really have call

If you want to go into PP, you do a two year fellowship after your IM residency; if you want to do academics, you'll do a three year fellowship after your IM residency

You can work in academics with only two years of fellowship

 

[drfunktacular]

You can work in academics with only two years of fellowship

Although if you want to do academics, you may be better served by a three-year track, which typically includes a research year

 

[yesno]

I like the pros listed on here. What about job stability and competitiveness? Do you need to go into a strong IM residency and "perform" to get into a fellowship? Or you can just chill and read your books and take electives that you like? And how about jobs after completing a fellowship? Is it in demand like primary care so you can get a job in any city, including miami? Also read that many specialties are forced into becoming hospital employees. Would it be the same with rheumatology or will they stay outpatient for a long time to come?