$310,000 is about right for an average urology private practice job. Urology used to make quite a bit more, but took a big hit when Medicare reduced reimbursement for in-office medication adminstration, such as Lupron and zoladex. One of the urologists I know said that ruling cost him over $100,000/year. Medicare is in the process of screwing the heme/onc guys the same way. You can make much more than that in a well run practice that does some cash pay vas reversals and penile implants.
What is most important is how a urology group runs their practice. If you interview with a group, ask them how many RVUs per year they are billing and what their overhead percentage is. If it is over 50%, they are too fat. Ask them what their malpractice rates are and when they last negotiated them. Ask them when they last negotiated their managed care contracts. $10,000 here and $20,000 there adds up fast.
It is unfortunate that medicine has become such a business, but it is reality. If you don't keep up with those things, you will lose a bunch of money. One other urologist I know did not watch the books at all (until it was too late) and it turns out that his office manager had been pocketing the co-payments (average $15 per pt) for over seven years. He saw about 150 pts/week, so that was maybe $500,000-$700,000 he and his partner lost. Not to mention, that as she was quitting, she stopped billing Medicare in July. They both retired in January, so that was another 6 months of Medicare billing that just went "poof."
