Salary - Trauma Surgery

[jjhipster12]

Hello

Anyone know the starting salary for trauma surgeon at Kaiser northern CA?

Thanks

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[Lem0nz]

That's weirdly specific and the answer is probably no, no one here will know that and it will vary based on the current year, the supply/demand, and any existing openings and need.

Academic trauma starts sub 300k+productivity. Its pathetically low. Non-academic trauma probably starts at 400k+productivity. Higher in more rural places, lower in more densely populated cities. Source is my co-chief in trauma as I try to recruit him from his **** academic job to my rural-ish non-academic hospital system. Can certainly get up to 600k over time. Not sure about going higher than that - trauma gets soft capped by being shift-based so you get paid whatever the volume is for the shifts which, when averaged, is pretty static over a year. But many trauma surgery services give each attending one week of bull**** time that you can use to run a normal general surgery elective practice if you so choose where you can increase your productivity (and paycheck) a fair amount.

Private practice groups also usually allow call sharing/taking additional call nights and getting paid a stipend, usually 1k to 1.5k a night.

 

[TypeADissection]

That's weirdly specific and the answer is probably no, no one here will know that and it will vary based on the current year, the supply/demand, and any existing openings and need.

Academic trauma starts sub 300k+productivity. Its pathetically low. Non-academic trauma probably starts at 400k+productivity. Higher in more rural places, lower in more densely populated cities. Source is my co-chief in trauma as I try to recruit him from his **** academic job to my rural-ish non-academic hospital system. Can certainly get up to 600k over time. Not sure about going higher than that - trauma gets soft capped by being shift-based so you get paid whatever the volume is for the shifts which, when averaged, is pretty static over a year. But many trauma surgery services give each attending one week of bull**** time that you can use to run a normal general surgery elective practice if you so choose where you can increase your productivity (and paycheck) a fair amount.

Private practice groups also usually allow call sharing/taking additional call nights and getting paid a stipend, usually 1k to 1.5k a night.

I'll second everything mentioned above. My co-resident is now going back to where we did our residency as a trauma/acs surgeon and salary is right around $400Ks. Not sure how the elective general surgery stuff gets divvied up, but when I was there for training, most of what they did was disaster ACS stuff while the general surgery services did all of the elective stuff. But now she has access to an army of residents and APPs.

 

[HighPriest]

I don’t work for Kaiser, but I did interview there back in the day. I do know that Kaiser works a bit differently in many ways, salary included. They’ll have a base salary for the specialty that is then stratified based upon how many years of experience post-residency you have under your belt. And there are only three (or four?) levels of pay. I couldn’t tell you what they pay a trauma surgeon, but if there were a Kaiser trauma surgeon on here I imagine they could. There’s no productivity/incentive pay. Unless they pay their trauma surgeons differently than they pay everyone else, which I doubt.
They also tend to include their own distribution into your retirement portfolio along with what they tel you they’re paying you. Which is correct, but only technically correct.

 

[akwho]

TPMG doesn't really hide their salaries since it's all on a well known scale which is based on years in practice. You probably could just email one of the TPMG recruiters and ask.

My guestimate would be ~380k + ~200k worth of benefits (occurrence based malpractice, fully paid premiums for med/dental, 401k, pension, 1 month paid vacation).

 

[yourfavedentist]

No idea about Kaiser, but my wife is a trauma surgeon / acute care surgeon in Northern CA. She made about $800k this year with potential to have made more. I would guess that Kaiser pays, at minimum, $550k? Wife has quite a few friends in this speciality, and all (around the country) are all making at least $650k... The income potential is very high in this speciality IMHO, people need to stop accepting anything less (nothing under $600k) because trauma surgery income potential is really high...

 

[yourfavedentist]

That's weirdly specific and the answer is probably no, no one here will know that and it will vary based on the current year, the supply/demand, and any existing openings and need.

Academic trauma starts sub 300k+productivity. Its pathetically low. Non-academic trauma probably starts at 400k+productivity. Higher in more rural places, lower in more densely populated cities. Source is my co-chief in trauma as I try to recruit him from his **** academic job to my rural-ish non-academic hospital system. Can certainly get up to 600k over time. Not sure about going higher than that - trauma gets soft capped by being shift-based so you get paid whatever the volume is for the shifts which, when averaged, is pretty static over a year. But many trauma surgery services give each attending one week of bull**** time that you can use to run a normal general surgery elective practice if you so choose where you can increase your productivity (and paycheck) a fair amount.

Private practice groups also usually allow call sharing/taking additional call nights and getting paid a stipend, usually 1k to 1.5k a night.

Completely untrue. Agreed that academic trauma is lower. Remember its base salary + annual bonus + call pay (can be hundreds of thousands) + RVU, etc. My wife is a trauma surgeon and she gets paid WELL over $600k (not in leadership yet, which would increase her income much more). Her friends around the country have salary at minimum $600k at trauma heavy and level I hospitals. Trauma surgery can earn over one million income. Wife's CMO is a trauma surgeon and their salary is about $1.9m.

 

[LucidSplash]

Completely untrue. Agreed that academic trauma is lower. My wife is a trauma surgeon and she gets paid WELL over $600k (not even leadership yet, which would increase her income much more). Her friends around the country have salary at minimum $600k at trauma heavy and level I hospitals. Trauma surgery can earn over one million income, if you want it. Wife's CMO is a trauma surgeon and their salary is over $2m.

Dude this is a 4-year old post. You’ve necrobumped.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Dude this is a 4-year old post. You’ve necrobumped.

He wanted to humblebrag....

 

[yourfavedentist]

I just joined this site and didn’t realize this was an older post, I was just searching around. Not sure how this is a humblebrag when I was contributing relevant, updated information to a discussion. The original post asked about trauma surgery salaries, and I shared firsthand knowledge from my wife and her colleagues that trauma surgeons can make $600,000 to over $1M. That’s just factual information from what I know, not a flex.

 

[Lem0nz]

Completely untrue. Agreed that academic trauma is lower. Remember its base salary + annual bonus + call pay (can be hundreds of thousands) + RVU, etc. My wife is a trauma surgeon and she gets paid WELL over $600k (not in leadership yet, which would increase her income much more). Her friends around the country have salary at minimum $600k at trauma heavy and level I hospitals. Trauma surgery can earn over one million income. Wife's CMO is a trauma surgeon and their salary is about $1.9m.

Your wife is an outlier or has several years of experience, her friends making over a million are absolutely extreme outliers and/or not real, and a clinical CMO trauma surgeon is again such an ultra-rare niche category of person that it is an anecdote and not a statistic.

Without re-reading the entire thread and just looking at the numbers I posted, I assume I was addressing trauma salaries fresh out of training. The numbers I proposed then remain accurate. I can add to it that the base starting salary now for someone with 4 years of practice experience is approximately 500-525k because the friend I wrote that post about just applied broadly and accepted a new job and contract and... those are the current numbers.

Not every job has bonuses for quality or necessary admin duties. Not every job has opportunity for additional paid call shifts (though most do) - and I certainly wouldn't compute that into the base contract because not everyone is going to want to do additional shifts. The vast majority of additional administrative jobs are not paid for except C-suite type things and that's not even the same conversation because you aren't going to get a c-suite job within the first ten years, in which case you're no longer talking about someone with 0 years of experience.

If all of your wife's friends are making 800k, then they are all busting their balls and I imagine have very poor work-life balance. You do not make 800k in surgery without absolutely cratering your life and doing at least 80 if not 100 hour work weeks and that holds true across all of our sub-disciplines excepting only NSG, ortho, possibly ENT and urology, but at the 800k mark they're certainly not cruising through life. They are still working real damn hard.

 

[yourfavedentist]

"If I haven't personally seen it, it must not exist" argument. Love it. You’re quoting a single anecdote like it’s a definitive cap on a field. Meanwhile, there are public salaries showing significantly higher pay structures for many people. I didn't need to, because who even are you... but I DMed you two trauma surgeon's public salaries, noting they are making 800k+ AND the $1m+ that you said "was not real" is the second one. I also sent you a DM of a private hospital that her friend FRESH out of training just signed. $600k BASE (not to mention call pay, $100k loan repayment & $100k sign-on). But sure, let's pretend that someone else's contract is gospel.

"If all of your wife’s friends are making 800k, they are all busting their balls with no work-life balance" – Or… and hear me out… maybe they know how to negotiate. Maybe they have found good setups and you & your crew didn't. Maybe they chose high-acuity, high-volume centers that pay for what the work is worth and stay competitive. Maybe they’re just better at this whole "surgery" thing, who knows. Your comment about work-life balance is also naive. Yes, ALL surgeons work hard, but you’re exaggerating the ‘cratering your life’ narrative. You do not NEED to pull 100-hour weeks to make $800k+. Again, centers are offering higher base salaries, lucrative call pay, and bonuses. If you think trauma surgeons don’t break into $900k+ territory, that says more about your limited exposure than it does about the market. Your ‘facts’ are your limited perspective. Instead of doubling down on a bad take, maybe consider that your experience doesn’t represent the full reality of the field.

 

[Lem0nz]

"If I haven't personally seen it, it must not exist" argument. Love it. You’re quoting a single anecdote like it’s a definitive cap on a field. Meanwhile, there are public salaries showing significantly higher pay structures for many people. I didn't need to, because who even are you... but I DMed you two trauma surgeon's public salaries, noting they are making 800k+ AND the $1m+ that you said "was not real" is the second one. I also sent you a DM of a private hospital that her friend FRESH out of training just signed. $600k BASE (not to mention call pay, $100k loan repayment & $100k sign-on). But sure, let's pretend that someone else's contract is gospel.

"If all of your wife’s friends are making 800k, they are all busting their balls with no work-life balance" – Or… and hear me out… maybe they know how to negotiate. Maybe they have found good setups and you & your crew didn't. Maybe they chose high-acuity, high-volume centers that pay for what the work is worth and stay competitive. Maybe they’re just better at this whole "surgery" thing, who knows. Your comment about work-life balance is also naive. Yes, ALL surgeons work hard, but you’re exaggerating the ‘cratering your life’ narrative. You do NOT need to pull 100-hour weeks to make $800k+. Again, centers are offering higher base salaries, lucrative call pay, and bonuses. If you think trauma surgeons don’t break into $900k+ territory, that says more about your limited exposure than it does about the market. Your ‘facts’ are your limited perspective. Instead of doubling down on a bad take, maybe consider that your experience doesn’t represent the full reality of the field.

Hey random guy who decided to sign up to this community... *checks notes* two days ago. Thanks for coming and being a total douchebag and starting a fight with the guy who's been here and is actually a surgeon for... you know what, I'll let you try to figure it out. Hint, its in GIANT FLARE next to my username. I'm going to promptly delete all the DMs you sent me, block you, and move on with my day.

You're an idiot. Whether you are right are wrong, you are a total dingus. I'll leave it to you to figure out why.

 

[yourfavedentist]

Nothing screams “thriving career” like policing salaries online. 😂 Imagine being a grown man flexing tenure on a student doctor forum. The "giant flare" reference, that’s got to be the saddest flex I’ve ever seen. That’s your big claim to authority? Hilarious. You sure got me. I haven’t dedicated years of my life to SDN. My bad for actually having things to do.

The funniest part? I backed up my statements with hard facts (real salaries) to your DM, and your response was to "delete, block", and throw a tantrum. I have contributed to a discussion with real data, and your response = calling me names. Tough look. Your anger from getting obliterated in the DMs is palpable. Big ‘I lost the argument, so now I’m mad’ energy. That ‘get mad’ profile pic is doing some real heavy lifting today. Chef’s kiss - perfectly on brand for ya.

Anyway, I’ll let you get back to whatever surgeon-level important work you do… on a student doctor internet forum.

Stay MAD lemon =)

 

[ThoracicGuy]

 

[LucidSplash]

Anyway, I’ll let you get back to whatever surgeon-level important work you do… on a student doctor internet forum.

Stay MAD lemon =)

Said the ?dentist? Who joined the student doctor forum and then posted about his wife’s salary on multiple old posts for unclear reasons.

Those of us post-student doctors that hang around here do so to assist and provide relevant experience and information to those who are still in the training pathway. Thanks for providing your unsolicited anecdotal evidence that is not supported by the larger data sets available on the subject. Your wife and the others you cited are outliers. That doesn’t mean your data points aren’t real, they are just not to be expected for the majority of people in the field. So should be considered with caution for those who are looking into the field, so as not to set unrealistic expectations.

To assist those who may read your posts who may be considering trauma as a career, or those who are evaluating contracts, context of the salary points you post would be helpful. Metro area size, broad area of the country, approximate hospital size (bed count), trauma center level, if the position includes ACS or if it is pure trauma, private practice or employed, if it includes separate call pay incentive, how often the surgeon is in call, and breakdown of salary vs RVU bonus. All of these things can vary widely and may make a job more or less attractive to a candidate regardless of the salary.

 

[yourfavedentist]

Said the ?dentist? Who joined the student doctor forum and then posted about his wife’s salary on multiple old posts for unclear reasons.

Those of us post-student doctors that hang around here do so to assist and provide relevant experience and information to those who are still in the training pathway. Thanks for providing your unsolicited anecdotal evidence that is not supported by the larger data sets available on the subject. Your wife and the others you cited are outliers. That doesn’t mean your data points aren’t real, they are just not to be expected for the majority of people in the field. So should be considered with caution for those who are looking into the field, so as not to set unrealistic expectations.

To assist those who may read your posts who may be considering trauma as a career, or those who are evaluating contracts, context of the salary points you post would be helpful. Metro area size, broad area of the country, approximate hospital size (bed count), trauma center level, if the position includes ACS or if it is pure trauma, private practice or employed, if it includes separate call pay incentive, how often the surgeon is in call, and breakdown of salary vs RVU bonus. All of these things can vary widely and may make a job more or less attractive to a candidate regardless of the salary.

I appreciate your response and agree that context matters. But dismissing certain figures as mere "outliers" doesn’t make them irrelevant, especially for those negotiating contracts or aiming for higher earnings. The fact remains: trauma surgeons can and do make $800k to exceeding $1 million. Context is definitely important, but I know this firsthand because I’m married to one who does, and have close friends in the field who do. That reality may not apply to everyone, but it’s far from an anomaly. Ignoring it does a disservice to those looking for the full picture of what’s possible.

I’ve supported my wife’s career from med school through attending life, and when I did a quick search, I thought I could contribute meaningfully. If sharing factual salaries (further backed with data), is considered "unsolicited anecdotal evidence," then so are the countless personal experiences others share on this platform daily.

As for the ?dentist? remark - if you want to be technical, I’m an orthodontist. But whether I’m a dentist, physician, or anything else is irrelevant. Salaries vary widely, just like in any field, and the goal should be to allow all of the SDN users to present the full range of compensations rather than dismissing data points that don’t fit a forced narrative.

Also find it interesting how some here seem less interested in a genuine conversation, and more focused on ganging up to discredit my perspectives simply because it challenged theirs. If anything, that only reinforces why conversations like this matter. Discussions about salary should empower physicians, not be shut down because big numbers make people uncomfortable.

Anyway, I’ll be sure to let my wife know that a few of her surgery colleagues are absolutely losing their minds online because I said she makes great money. She’s going to love that. 😂

Best of luck to those genuinely considering trauma, or any surgical specialty. You work hard, and are very deserving of these numbers. Sky is the limit. Peace!

 

[LucidSplash]

I appreciate your response and agree that context matters. But dismissing certain figures as mere "outliers" doesn’t make them irrelevant, especially for those negotiating contracts or aiming for higher earnings. The fact remains: trauma surgeons can and do make $800k to exceeding $1 million. Context is definitely important, but I know this firsthand because I’m married to one who does, and have close friends in the field who do. That reality may not apply to everyone, but it’s far from an anomaly. Ignoring it does a disservice to those looking for the full picture of what’s possible.

I’ve supported my wife’s career from med school through attending life, and when I did a quick search, I thought I could contribute meaningfully. If sharing factual salaries (further backed with data), is considered "unsolicited anecdotal evidence," then so are the countless personal experiences others share on this platform daily.

As for the ?dentist? remark - if you want to be technical, I’m an orthodontist. But whether I’m a dentist, physician, or anything else is irrelevant. Salaries vary widely, just like in any field, and the goal should be to allow all of the SDN users to present the full range of compensations rather than dismissing data points that don’t fit a forced narrative.

Also find it interesting how some here seem less interested in a genuine conversation, and more focused on ganging up to discredit my perspectives simply because it challenged theirs. If anything, that only reinforces why conversations like this matter. Discussions about salary should empower physicians, not be shut down because big numbers make people uncomfortable.

Anyway, I’ll be sure to let my wife know that a few of her surgery colleagues are absolutely losing their minds online because I said she makes great money. She’s going to love that. 😂

Best of luck to those genuinely considering trauma, or any surgical specialty. You work hard, and are very deserving of these numbers. Sky is the limit. Peace!

I didn’t discredit your numbers. I just told the truth they are the outlier numbers. Which is important context. And most jobs that offer base compensation that far outside the standard FMV have contributing factors that make them not a good choice for many people. Which is why I asked you to provide context. Which you did not do. I get that you know your wife and some others and how much they make. But the devil is in the details. If you want to contribute meaningfully to the conversation, provide the details for the trainees and those considering contracts. Not for me or Lemonz. For the people you say you came to provide perspective for.

I considered trauma as a specialty and ultimately chose something else for reasons other than compensation. But I know the numbers for trauma and I’m in possession of the MGMA data and have access to other sources for FMV as well. I’ve done both employed work as well as locums in many places. So my perspective is pretty broad.

Details, or nothing you say is helpful because the numbers you cite are already available in the main databases. At the far top end of the bell curve. So we know that those jobs do exist already. But what the traditional databases don’t provide are the details I’ve mentioned. So if you truly want to be helpful as you claim, you’ll provide that information. Otherwise it’s all smoke and, whether you intended it as such or not, just bragging. I have no idea why someone would do some kind of internet search and then come onto a fresh website and post their spouses compensation information in a way that is utterly unhelpful. But I believe you that you didn’t realize that it wasn’t helpful in the manner that you conveyed it. So if you want you can get over the fact that some people called you on that in a way you found insulting, or you can get over yourself and respond to the fact that you need to give more info to be truly helpful as you claim you want to be.

 

[eyeeye_captain]

I’ll be sure to let my wife know. She’s going to love that.

Distilled your post down for you. Congrats on the sugar momma, glad you’re keeping her happy. I’d be pumped if my spouse made $800k, too.

Again, a few data points don’t tell the whole story. Context is necessary to see if such a job is worthwhile, and Lucid gave you a pretty comprehensive list of details to have a constructive conversation about that level of compensation. Lot of C’s, sorry.

As an eye dentist - if you want to be technical I’m a retina surgeon - there was/may still be a big group based in big city Arizona where pretty much everybody made >$1M. Sounds good enough right? Except most people had to literally fly to some satellites, were expected to see 100+ patients a day, and would frequently operate overnight. No bueno.

Citing a CMO is so niche I can’t begin to comment. If the records are publicly available, you can anonymize them and post the pictures I guess. Look kids, here’s a salary with no reference points in a field with known issues with burnout. What’s the situation for these folks? Details matter in a conversation. If you’re making big bucks while getting ridden hard and put up wet, that’s not for everyone.

 

[yourfavedentist]

Listen, the idea that any surgeon maxes out at $400K is beyond wrong. My contribution was simply to correct misinformation - yet, somehow, people are still harassing me. I don’t have the energy for an endless back-and-forth with a vascular and eye surgeon… lol. Move on with your lives already, like high-tenure "Lemon" did. And maybe consider being happy for your colleagues.

1) We are in Northern California. Salaries here can push higher due to the cost of living.
2) She is an excellent doctor and surgeon. She trained at top institutions and was aggressively recruited by a private level 1 trauma center. The hospital pays well to attract and retain talent.
3) She has additional fellowship years in Trauma/ACS, SCC, and Burn Surgery. The trauma-burn combination was especially sought after because apparently most trauma surgeons aren’t well trained in burns.

Now, since you demand her personal details, here you go (with input from my wife):

Base Salary: $650K for 12 shifts per month.
Shifts: 2 of those 12 are 24-hour shifts (which she doesn’t mind). The rest are 9-5 clinic days or 12-hour shifts.
Extra Work: When she agrees to be back-up call, she gets paid extra. Because the call volume is low, back-up call is easy money. She also picks up one extra 24-hour shift per month, adding nearly $100K to her pay (feasible for her, but not for everyone).
Total Workload: 13 days per month. Her scope includes trauma, burns, ICU, emergency general surgery, and running an elective surgery clinic (with a bunch of good APPs).
Bonuses/RVU pay: Her facility offers these incentives.
Total salary: over $800K (do the math).

Is this easily achievable in academics? Probably not. Is this achievable outside of academics? Absolutely.
To us, this number seems standard. Too many of our close friends make similar figures with interchangeable arrangements. Not just in Northern CA, but areas like the Midwest (especially rural, semi-rural, or high-need areas).

Also, PRN work can make hitting these numbers very realistic too - couple people we know with lower base salaries supplement with 1-3 locum shifts per month at Level II or III trauma centers (where there’s higher flexibility and more demand).

Trade-offs? Every job has them. But this is her "ideal" job. Why? It’s shift work. She works 12-14 days a month, max, and has the rest 100% off. She can stack shifts, work 13 straight days, and take 2+ weeks off for international travel, monthly. Or, she can spread them out and have every weekend off with our family. It is good work-life balance.

What she’s NOT doing:
1) "Flying across states."
2) "Grinding through insane patient volumes."
3) Being "ridden hard and put up wet."

At this point, the irony of dismissing my post as ‘bragging’ while simultaneously demanding ‘more details’ is not lost on me. I’ve laid it all out.

This is my last comment on this thread. I hope this helps someone looking for real numbers. Good luck everyone!!!

P.S. = She is not my sugar momma. I make more than her as an orthodontist with a successful private practice =). She doesn't even need to work, but she loves what she does.

 

[LucidSplash]

Listen, the idea that any surgeon maxes out at $400K is beyond wrong. My contribution was simply to correct misinformation - yet, somehow, people are still harassing me. I don’t have the energy for an endless back-and-forth with a vascular and eye surgeon… lol. Move on with your lives already, like high-tenure "Lemon" did. And maybe consider being happy for your colleagues.

1) We are in Northern California. Salaries here can push higher due to the cost of living.
2) She is an excellent doctor and surgeon. She trained at top institutions and was aggressively recruited by a private level 1 trauma center. The hospital pays well to attract and retain talent.
3) She has additional fellowship years in Trauma/ACS, SCC, and Burn Surgery. The trauma-burn combination was especially sought after because apparently most trauma surgeons aren’t well trained in burns.

Now, since you demand her personal details, here you go (with input from my wife):

Base Salary: $650K for 12 shifts per month.
Shifts: 2 of those 12 are 24-hour shifts (which she doesn’t mind). The rest are 9-5 clinic days or 12-hour shifts.
Extra Work: When she agrees to be back-up call, she gets paid extra. Because the call volume is low, back-up call is easy money. She also picks up one extra 24-hour shift per month, adding nearly $100K to her pay (feasible for her, but not for everyone).
Total Workload: 13 days per month. Her scope includes trauma, burns, ICU, emergency general surgery, and running an elective surgery clinic (with a bunch of good APPs).
Bonuses/RVU pay: Her facility offers these incentives.
Total salary: over $800K (do the math).

Is this easily achievable in academics? Probably not. Is this achievable outside of academics? Absolutely.
To us, this number seems fairly standard. Too many of our close friends make similar figures with interchangeable arrangements. Not just in Northern CA, but places like the Midwest (especially rural, semi-rural, or high-need areas).

Also, PRN work can make hitting these numbers very realistic too - couple people we know with lower base salaries supplement with 1-3 locum shifts per month at Level II or III trauma centers (where there’s higher flexibility and more demand).

Trade-offs? Every job has them. But this is her "ideal" job. Why? It’s shift work. She works 12-14 days a month, max, and has the rest 100% off. She can stack shifts, work 13 straight days, and take 2+ weeks off for international travel, monthly. Or, she can spread them out and have every weekend off with our family. It is good work-life balance.

What she’s NOT doing:
1) "Flying across states."
2) "Grinding through insane patient volumes."
3) Being "ridden hard and put up wet."

At this point, the irony of dismissing my post as ‘bragging’ while simultaneously demanding ‘more details’ is not lost on me. I’ve laid it all out.

This is my last comment on this thread. I hope this helps someone looking for real numbers. Good luck everyone!!!

These details will be very helpful to trainees and those looking to evaluate trauma contracts. Especially those looking into a Surgicalist model in California. Thanks!

 

[eyeeye_captain]

Listen, the idea that any surgeon maxes out at $400K is beyond wrong. My contribution was simply to correct misinformation - yet, somehow, people are harassing me on the internet. I don’t have the energy for an endless back-and-forth with a vascular and eye surgeon... lol. Go ahead and move on with your lives like the high-tenure "Lemon" did.

1) We are in Northern California. Her base salary is $650,000. Salaries in our area do push higher due to the cost of living here.
2) She is an excellent doctor and surgeon. She trained at top institutions and was aggressively recruited by a private hospital (level 1 trauma center). The hospital paid well to attract and retain talent.
3) She has fellowship years in Trauma / ACS / SCC, and Burn Surgery. The trauma-burn was particularly sought after at her facility (apparently most trauma surgeons are not very well-trained with burns).

Now, since you demand her personal details, here you go (with help from my wife):

Base Salary: $650K for 12 shifts per month.
Shift: 2 of those 12 are 24-hour shifts. The rest are 9-5 clinic days or 12-hour shifts. When she agrees to be back-up call, she gets paid more. Infrequently called in.
Extra Work: She picks up one extra 24-hour shift per month, adding nearly $100K to her pay (highly feasible for her, but understandable that others don't).
Total Workload: 13 days per month. Her scope includes trauma, burns, ICU, emergency general surgery, and running an elective surgery clinic.
Bonuses/RVU pay: Her facility offers these incentives.
Total Compensation: Over $800K (do the math).

Is this easily achievable in academics? Unlikely. Is this easily achievable outside of academics? To us, this seems fairly normal. But again, it's because so many of our close friends earn interchangeable numbers with similar arrangements too. Speaking outside of North CA as well, especially in the Midwest (semi-rural or high-need areas). A few who have lower base salaries supplement with 1-3 locum shifts per month at Level II or III trauma centers, where there’s higher flexibility and more demand. Was told per diem locum agency or PRN pool work makes hitting these numbers realistic in that case.

Trade-offs? Every job has them. But this is her dream setup, and she is truly happy. Why? It’s shift work. She works a maximum of 12-14 days a month and has the rest 100% off. She can stack shifts to work 14 straight days, and take 14 days off for travel. Or, she can spread them out and have every weekend off with our family.

What she’s NOT doing:
1) "Flying across states."
2) "Grinding through insane patient volumes."
3) Being "ridden hard and put up wet."

At this point, the irony of dismissing a post as ‘bragging’ while simultaneously demanding ‘more details’ is not lost on me. I’ve laid it out, as instructed. This is my last comment. Good luck everyone!!

Cool, thanks. The specifics are helpful for potential trauma job applicants looking for good outlier jobs, which was the question we asked above. There’s no animosity, it was a question of how to be that far above the average while not being ridiculous. My example was one in my field that looks good on the surface but is painful in reality. There are aspects of my >90th percentile job that would be non-starters for some folks.

The burn part is an interesting angle, I wouldn’t have figured that was a reasonable option in the community. I can see how that would sweeten the pot on offers since few people can/will cover that.

Here’s a thread within the last 6 months or so with a young trauma surgeon who was going to a rural vacation spot for less than half of what he was making as a locums doc. Again, single data point, but in the opposite direction:
Link

Requests for clarification aren’t insults, they stimulate (hopefully constructive) conversation.

 

[GoSpursGo]

As originally noted, this thread is 4 years old. Since the recent posts are mostly just insults and name calling, I’m closing this thread

I think several users in this thread could make use of the ignore function going forward