What are the pros/cons of working in a hospital setting vs. private practice?

[sunsweet]

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Many interviewers ask where you see yourself in ten years, and I'm guessing one of the things they're looking for is private practice vs. hospital setting. I'm not really sure which one I would like, so I was wondering if someone could tell me some good and bad things about both, or why you want to do one over the other. obviously in a private practice, you're your own boss, but what are other things to consider?

also, I'm interested in teaching and in research. so usually the best place to have these opportunities would be academic medicine right? does academic medicine mean practicing at any hospital that has an affiliated medical school? or can you be in academic medicine in other ways too?

thanks in advance!

 

[sunsweet]

anyone?

 

[Mumpu]

Omg, that is one giant yellow face you've got there buddy. 🙂

First of all, private practice can be hospital-based since many hospitals are private. The upside is more money for same or less work. The downside is fewer really interesting cases because those go to the teaching centers. If you are in clinic-based private practice, you have to directly deal with the insurance companies or hire someone to do it for you, and you have to worry about fun things like how many patients you need to see per day to stay profitable and how many medicare patients can you have before you go bankrupt.

I'm interested in hospitalist work (i.e. no clinics) because I don't like the outpatient setting and because I like the more acute patients. You can be in private practice that is affiliated with a medical school and teach that way, or you can work for a teaching hospital which is basically academic medicine.

 

[Uegis]

As said before, hospital are more academic settings. Physicians do their residencies there, so of course its academic. I am interested in a hospital setting because of research opportunities and I dont want to bother with the ins and outs of running a business.

 

[sunsweet]

Omg, that is one giant yellow face you've got there buddy. 🙂

lol, just trying to be friendly and cheerful 😀

thanks mumpu and uegis for ur responses!

 

[Fed Meat]

Hospitals often also equal less pay, less control over hours worked, less professional autonomy, and less of a say in choosing one's staff.

 

[Bones2008]

I think most pre-meds are totally unqualified to answer this question. try one of the residency forums.