the richest and poorest surgeons

[ribcrackindoc]

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outa curiosity, i looked and found this for average salaries for >3 years in practice: it was on the allied physicians web site

Ortho-spine: $671,000
Neurosurgeons: $541,000
Cardiovascular surgeons: $515,000
Plastic surgeons: $412,000
Urologists: 358,000
Orthopedic surgeons: $342,000
Vascular surgeons: $329,000
Opthalmologists: $314,000
ENT: $311,000
General surgeons: $291,000
then anesthesiology at $275,000

Are the numbers indicative of what surgeons are really making? Do urologists and vascular surgeons and orthopods really make more than a general surgeon? Why would that be?

 

[Pilot Doc]

#1 - no

Those salary surveys are notoriously unreliable. (Although the relative ranking more accurate.) The range of practice opportunities is so wide that an overall average is not terribly useful. Actual salaries probably range from 50% below to 100% above the stated averages.


#2 Yes.

Income = # of procedures * pay per procedure

Ortho, vascular and uro either have shorter cases (i.e. more per day) or better reimbursed cases than most general surgeons. There are other issues, but that explains most of it.

 

[womansurg]

Since vascular surgeons operate nearly exclusively on medicare patients, their salaries can be on the lower end.

General surgeons do a quite a bit of urgent and emergency work. If someone comes in with a colon perforation, we operate - of course - regardless of their ability to pay. Consequently our collections tend to run a lot lower than for many of the subspecialists, who perform surgeries which are nearly all elective.

But, it's extremely variable and has a lot to do with how you set up your practice and how hard you want to work. I know general surgeons who make 500K.

It's all good. We all make a good living.

 

[hemoccult]

Regarding starting salaries...since womansurg is one of the great veterans of the trenches...out of curiousity, what is the starting salary range for general surgery nowadays? Are there several opportunities or are the pickings slim? Just wanted to hear from someone who has just gone through the process.

Hope all is well in the west.

 

[womansurg]

Salaries vary quite a bit by region. About 200k seemed average the year I signed.

There are tons of opportunities, less so in popular urban areas.

 

[chef]

if u are business savvy and willing to work ahrd, u will make 7 figure incomes in ANY surgical field.

my advice is to pick your wife wisely, b/c u will get a$$ raped by her if u meet the wrong one... it's sometimes not about how much u make but how much u spend/ how to use that $$....

 

[kcrd]

Originally posted by chef
if u are business savvy and willing to work ahrd, u will make 7 figure incomes in ANY surgical field.

my advice is to pick your wife wisely, b/c u will get a$$ raped by her if u meet the wrong one... it's sometimes not about how much u make but how much u spend/ how to use that $$....

wow, that's great advice, chef. womansurg, I hope you picked a good wife!

 

[GeddyLee]

chef...
nice post...hehe....I love that term "a$$ raped"...it so accurately describes the situation.