Salary Question

[gonefishin22]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Can anyone drop some knowledge on me about the salary for Ophthalmology in given town size. I know compensation drops drastically in the larger cities (NY, LA, Chicago, Boston etc), but does anyone have insight to what a general ophthalmologist makes in the Southeast in cities with 15-20k people. I know it is a pretty specific question, but any info can help.

I do apologize for the previous misspelling. Do forgive.

 

[Eyefixer]

Well, if you keep misspelling ophtho, your salary will be $0.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Cities of that size will barely be able to support an ophthalmologist unless they are the center of a larger area with other towns and have medical facilities, especially a county or regional hospital. Everything depends on how well the community does economically. Lots of medical assistance is not good. Union jobs, corporate employers with benefits and well-off retired folks with decent secondary insurance is better, and salaries will reflect that. Most "jobs" in those areas will reflect the volumes and payer mix of the community, and generally how attractive or unattractive the area is to recruiting. So a coastal resort community with well-off retired folks will probably be able to offer starting salary of $150K or more and be viable. A less-affluent area might offer more to start but the long-term prospects once salary guarantees expire might require much bigger patient volumes to generate the same income. It might seem exciting to see 40+ patients a day, but not so much if you are getting sweatshopped.

 

[ophthope]

Can anyone drop some knowledge on me about the salary for Ophthalmology in given town size. I know compensation drops drastically in the larger cities (NY, LA, Chicago, Boston etc), but does anyone have insight to what a general ophthalmologist makes in the Southeast in cities with 15-20k people. I know it is a pretty specific question, but any info can help.

I do apologize for the previous misspelling. Do forgive.

Here are some other threads with information on salaries:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=772463
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=643148
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=920514
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=967093

Just to warn you, it seems like most of these topics end up degrading into philosophical debates about reasons why you should or shouldn't go into Ophthalmology. Basically nobody trusts any of the data that anyone else presents about average or starting salaries. The points that are usually agreed upon are:

1. Larger cities are more saturated and income is substantially lower.
2. Starting salaries are significantly lower than any of the average salaries posted, and it takes some number of years to become a partner and maker closer to that average number.
3. Finding a practice where you won't get screwed and can become partner is paramount.


I seriously doubt you'll find information about salaries in areas as specific as you mention. Also 15-20K is a small town size and may not be large enough to support an Ophthalmologist.

 

[gonefishin22]

Thanks for the info. I grew up in a town of 20k and we have 3 separate ophthalmology clinics there. Granted we are an hr away from the state capital and 90 minutes from a major city 350,000k people, but none of those doctors have other sites except one which is an even smaller city 30 miles away. I ask because as a first year medical student who wants to live out in the 'country' I'm worried about the job market for an ophthalmologist.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Thanks for the info. I grew up in a town of 20k and we have 3 separate ophthalmology clinics there. Granted we are an hr away from the state capital and 90 minutes from a major city 350,000k people, but none of those doctors have other sites except one which is an even smaller city 30 miles away. I ask because as a first year medical student who wants to live out in the 'country' I'm worried about the job market for an ophthalmologist.

It is possible to practice in a town of 20K, as long as there are certain conditions. If it is a retirement community, you might need no larger a population to be viable. If there is a more normal distribution of age and income, then it will likely be important that the city draw from the areas outside its boundaries. It will also be important that the city have a hospital.

Typically a practice in a small city can count on drawing patients who would otherwise have to go much farther to see an ophthalmologist elsewhere. In the example you gave, patients living between the capital or the major city and your town would be more likely to drive toward the larger communities rather than the town of 20K.

 

[RestoreSight]

Smaller communities can over lucrative opportunities for ophthalmologists if a few preconditions are met. First, the community needs to have an elderly population. Second, it has to be more convenient for them to go to you than travel outside the city. Third, there has to be a regional hospital with adequate facilities such as an OR for you with appropriate ancillary staff. I knew an ophthalmologist who did quite well in California in a town of 22k 50 miles from the nearest city

 

[kwel]

When people are talking about the "saturated urban areas" are they talking about large cities like NY, chicago, LA, SF, etc? How are the suburbs for these types of places, i.e. 30 min - 2hrs outside a large city? Still just as saturated?

 

[orbitsurgMD]

20-30 minutes outside a larger city still places you within the high-density inner suburbs of most larger cities. These areas are usually the most attractive to doctors and patients due to the amenities and are also commonly heavily saturated with specialists. Opportunity would likely be greater going 60 to 80 miles from a major city, a long enough distance that many people would think twice about traveling that distance to the city for a doctor's appointment, as long as a reasonable alternative was closer. Some folks will drive to the city suburbs for care while others will stick closer to home.