Taking time off after residency training and before going into private practice?

[Sivastraba]

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Is it ok to take 1 or 2 years off after you get done with residency training or do future employers frown upon this. What about if you open your own office? Would this still be a problem. The reason I am asking is because I would like to visit my family back in Asia, and would like to spent quality time with them and get to know about my culture. I know I already have gained a lot of technical knowledge. I want to know gain some wisdome which I can apply in the future in my interaction with patients. Any thoughts?

 

[michaelrack]

Is it ok to take 1 or 2 years off after you get done with residency training ?

If you take a break from medicine (for some licensure boards as little as one month) you have to explain yourself to your state medical licensure board. Employers will look down on a break of this long.

 

[TOXOSIS]

Is it ok to take 1 or 2 years off after you get done with residency training or do future employers frown upon this. What about if you open your own office? Would this still be a problem. The reason I am asking is because I would like to visit my family back in Asia, and would like to spent quality time with them and get to know about my culture. I know I already have gained a lot of technical knowledge. I want to know gain some wisdome which I can apply in the future in my interaction with patients. Any thoughts?

I have a question for you: Why would it be a problem if you opened your own office?

 

[michaelrack]

I have a question for you: Why would it be a problem if you opened your own office?

It's a problem because you will have to explain your 1-2 yr absence from medicine to your state licensing board.

 

[chaser08]

what about if it is under the guise of doing a humanitarian mission? certainly there are missions (religious and nonreligious) that work in asia...split it up so that it's a few days/wk or few weeks/month with the mission, and spend the other time finding out about your culture. i plan to do something similar in my career (though not right after residency). i don't think it would look too shabby on your resume, either.

 

[Winged Scapula]

what about if it is under the guise of doing a humanitarian mission? certainly there are missions (religious and nonreligious) that work in asia...split it up so that it's a few days/wk or few weeks/month with the mission, and spend the other time finding out about your culture. i plan to do something similar in my career (though not right after residency). i don't think it would look too shabby on your resume, either.

The reason you take time off doesn't matter. You still have to explain it AND document it. Many boards and hospitals will require you to have someone verify that you were doing what you said you were doing.

The issue is that time away from medicine, especially early in your career, can be seen as harmful because nacent skills rapidly die when they are not used (although they can be gotten back with work...but some employers prefer not to hire someone who is "out of practice").

 

[NotAProgDirector]

The issue is that time away from medicine, especially early in your career, can be seen as harmful because nacent skills rapidly die when they are not used (although they can be gotten back with work...but some employers prefer not to hire someone who is "out of practice").

I'm not sure that's the real reason. I bet every Board has been burned by someone who said they were doing a medical mission in Somewhere-istan for two years, but actually was in jail / sued for malpractice / fired / etc.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I'm not sure that's the real reason. I bet every Board has been burned by someone who said they were doing a medical mission in Somewhere-istan for two years, but actually was in jail / sued for malpractice / fired / etc.

Most likely hence the reason for documentation about your whereabouts and activities during your time away from medicine.

Sort of OT, but we have an interesting situation here in Arizona. Its one of the few states with a homeopathic physician licensing board. There is no restriction for MDs/DOs who have lost their medical license in other states from coming here, getting a homeopathic license (after some sort of short course) and setting up practice. If you stay within the confines of homeopath medicine, no problem. Trouble is we have had some doing plastic surgery (real stuff like lipo but just cosmetic injections) and practicing traditional Western medicine without a medical license.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

Very interesting, WS. UofA has the biggest CAM center in the States, founded by Andrew Weil and publicized largely by Tieraona Low Dog.

http://www.drlowdog.com/about.html

It really calls to mind the homeopathy debates of a century ago.

Surely the unscrupulous defrocked MDs can be prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license?

 

[Winged Scapula]

Very interesting, WS. UofA has the biggest CAM center in the States, founded by Andrew Weil and publicized largely by Tieraona Low Dog.

http://www.drlowdog.com/about.html

It really calls to mind the homeopathy debates of a century ago.

Interestingly, she is no longer licensed as an MD.

I find the strong presence of homeopathy and CAM a frustrating, albeit challenging and interesting factor in practicing in Arizona. Patients will often refuse the treatments we offer them, sometimes decamp to Mexico only to return in much much worse condition.

Surely the unscrupulous defrocked MDs can be prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license?

Absolutely.

A cash only practice seems to be common, which avoids the oversight of an insurance company refusing to credential and pay for procedures you aren't licensed to do. I've been reading a very interesting series in one of the local papers about several defrocked MDs with HM licenses who were caught. Seems also to be common to partner with an MD/DO who doesn't have any license issues and if accused of practicing outside of their homeopathic license, to claim that they were only assisting the licensed MD/DO and not actually doing the procedures.

 

[IndyXRT]

The reason you take time off doesn't matter. You still have to explain it AND document it. Many boards and hospitals will require you to have someone verify that you were doing what you said you were doing.

I experienced this myself; my internship started a week early (last week of June), so I had one week off between internship and residency. When applying for priveleges, I had to explain what I was doing during this week. I also had to explain what I was doing the three weeks between the end of medical school and starting internship.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I experienced this myself; my internship started a week early (last week of June), so I had one week off between internship and residency. When applying for priveleges, I had to explain what I was doing during this week. I also had to explain what I was doing the three weeks between the end of medical school and starting internship.

Wow...I thought 90 days was about the minimum they cared about.

 

[gutonc]

I experienced this myself; my internship started a week early (last week of June), so I had one week off between internship and residency. When applying for priveleges, I had to explain what I was doing during this week. I also had to explain what I was doing the three weeks between the end of medical school and starting internship.

Seriously? The weeks b/w med school and internship? Did they accept "gettin' my drink on!"? I sure hope so, otherwise I'm hosed.

 

[dragonfly99]

IndyXRT,
that's just WEIRD that they'd ask what somebody was going during a couple of weeks between med school and residency, or a week between internship and residency. I've NEVER heard of that. I have a medical license (plus renewed it once) and I think they just asked about any extended leaves of absence.

 

[michaelrack]

Wow...I thought 90 days was about the minimum they cared about.

A few ask about 1 month.

1 week is ridiculous

 

[AlternateSome1]

I had to explain all gaps between medicine and residency, but only had to provide proof for gaps greater than 3 months. So, writing "moving" to explain a 3 week gap was fine.

 

[IndyXRT]

IndyXRT,
that's just WEIRD that they'd ask what somebody was going during a couple of weeks between med school and residency, or a week between internship and residency. I've NEVER heard of that. I have a medical license (plus renewed it once) and I think they just asked about any extended leaves of absence.

It was some crazy online form that required me to type an explaination any time an ending date didn't directly abut the next beginning date. The explainations I provided were "moving" and "vacation." They haven't asked for any further explaination, so I take the point that most wouldn't ask for proof of activities for periods less than 90 days. None of the other hospitals I filled out paperwork for were quite as picky.