Thinking about quitting fellowship

[Bowel Movers and Shakers]

Hey guys,

Curious if anyone else has felt this way and/or if anyone has any advice on this matter. I'm currently a 2nd year at a very clinically and academically rigorous program and recently have been feeling like the emotional weight of the job and the myriad demands (inbox messages, long notes, keeping up with literature, FMLA paperwork, patient calls, peer to peers, prior auth approvals, etc.) are outweighing the excitement that I once felt for it. I'm starting to see myself sustaining a career in oncology less and less.

I'm curious if anyone here has quit fellowship or knows of someone who has quit and how satisfied they are with their decision? I'm also curious if quitting on good terms / with the good graces (though maybe not full support) of leadership affects one's chances of matching into, say, a pall care fellowship or something?

Thanks everyone.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Bowel Movers and Shakers]

Also on a related note. To all the seasoned attendings: does it get better?

 

[whoknows2012]

Also on a related note. To all the seasoned attendings: does it get better?

While I read through your first post I can at least respond to this; being an attending is a different beast BUT is incredibly more enjoyable. Yes there’s different kinds of stressors but you literally get to pick the job you do (for the most part) and have at least somewhat more flexibility in your schedule and how you go about your day (in academics at least)

 

[gutonc]

Hey guys,

Curious if anyone else has felt this way and/or if anyone has any advice on this matter. I'm currently a 2nd year at a very clinically and academically rigorous program and recently have been feeling like the emotional weight of the job and the myriad demands (inbox messages, long notes, keeping up with literature, FMLA paperwork, patient calls, peer to peers, prior auth approvals, etc.) are outweighing the excitement that I once felt for it. I'm starting to see myself sustaining a career in oncology less and less.

I'm curious if anyone here has quit fellowship or knows of someone who has quit and how satisfied they are with their decision? I'm also curious if quitting on good terms / with the good graces (though maybe not full support) of leadership affects one's chances of matching into, say, a pall care fellowship or something?

Thanks everyone.

Yes, it gets better.

No long notes.
FMLA/P2P/PA - We've got people for that...all you should have to do is sign something
Inbasket/patient calls/portal messages - This is all stuff that once you're an attending (not in academia), you'll have one or 2 people (typically RNs) that will know your style/preferences (and vice versa) and will cut the amount of work you have to do on this stuff by 75% or more.

The BS in training is just that, BS in training. There's still BS as an attending but there's a lot less of it and you get paid a lot better for it.

 

[MD46]

Also on a related note. To all the seasoned attendings: does it get better?

Definitely does. As Gutonc said, all the prior auth etc etc dealt mostly by some one else.

Notes dont need to be long just precise and to the point. I invest good time in a initial consult note and subsequent ones get much easier.

Peer to peer isnt that much, for me its like 5-6 times a month.

Most inbox stuff is RN , staff messages i respond to my self.

Gets much better, just make sure the above things are your preferences and choose the job accordingly.
Hang in there !!

 

[Bowel Movers and Shakers]

Guys thank you so much. I really appreciate you all for your answers, honestly I mean that. It seems like whenever I ask people in academics "does it ever get better" their answer is almost always a resounding "no". So it's refreshing to hear that there maybe is a light at the end and there maybe is space for you to define your own preferences. Thanks guys .

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

Guys thank you so much. I really appreciate you all for your answers, honestly I mean that. It seems like whenever I ask people in academics "does it ever get better" their answer is almost always a resounding "no". So it's refreshing to hear that there maybe is a light at the end and there maybe is space for you to define your own preferences. Thanks guys .

I’m not an attending but the way I think about it, for better or worse, we generate the most money for the “system” by seeing as many patients as possible (“move the meat” as GutOnc calls it). Thus as an attending they will be incentivized to pay for someone who makes less money than you to help do all that busy work so you can just flow from patient to patient.

When in fellowship we are making about the same as a nurse so it makes less sense to find us some help with these things and they just have us do it.

 

[HaemOnculus]

New attending this year. I was lucky enough to join a very supportive practice and it certainly get better. I too was overwhelmed at points during my training and even considered leaving. It gets better...it really does.

 

[dieABRdie]

Hey guys,

Curious if anyone else has felt this way and/or if anyone has any advice on this matter. I'm currently a 2nd year at a very clinically and academically rigorous program and recently have been feeling like the emotional weight of the job and the myriad demands (inbox messages, long notes, keeping up with literature, FMLA paperwork, patient calls, peer to peers, prior auth approvals, etc.) are outweighing the excitement that I once felt for it. I'm starting to see myself sustaining a career in oncology less and less.

I'm curious if anyone here has quit fellowship or knows of someone who has quit and how satisfied they are with their decision? I'm also curious if quitting on good terms / with the good graces (though maybe not full support) of leadership affects one's chances of matching into, say, a pall care fellowship or something?

Thanks everyone.

Not med onc, but rad onc.... I wanted to paint the ceiling with my brains as a resident. Mostly from the complete lack of autonomy and control over the logistics of the care.

Fortunately, that experience taught me what I need in a practice to be happy day to day. I refused to work for a profit-driven hospital administration or at a pseudo-academic community satelllite. I only considered private groups or MAYBE a good community non-profit. These are the situations you usually have much more control over how the clinic runs... and be sure you consider that when interviewing. As much of that administrative crap should be done by someone else if possible. Ask about it. If they balk... run the other way. Our job market is not so great, but I had "diamond hands" and now I couldn't be happier.