Why do anesthesiologists make so much $$?

[wrx]

Wow- this thread is still going. You kids act as if i'm taking your money away- relax. You'll still have your "wallstreet & gas" thread...

This was pulled from another thread which i hope is not true:

"Typical diatribe from a frustrated pre-med/general surgery resident.....
Oh well, pal.....it only get's worse....it only gets worse - FOR YOU!!
(Typed while at work supervising CRNAs and making $400K)"

In fact, today in the OR, I witnessed one anesthesiologist bring his laptop in, and another who was calling his bank to change addresses or something... all while the case is going on.

It's not that I don't have respect for anesthesiologists, they're damn smart people, but seeing **** like this over and over is what pisses me off. If you're in the OR, do your job and monitor the patient. I think anything else is disrespectful. Outside the OR, the **** you guys do is awesome, that's why i'm doing an elective.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TofuBalls]

No offense to any of you guys, but why do anesthesiologists make so much $$? During my surgery + Ob/Gyn rotation, the anesthesiologists at all the hospitals I rotated through did jack-squat... What am I missing here??

You apparently are missing a lot. Perhaps you should observe more anesthesiologists throughout the day instead of what you observe in the one room you are in that day.

If I judged every OB/GYN by what I saw as a medical stud during my OB rotation, I would think every one of them is a psychotic frosty box in need of lithium...

Regardless, just do yourself a favor and take an anesthesiology rotation and hopefully see why we make "so much $$$". We do because we keep sick as **** grandmas and grandpas alive during their AAA's, CABG's and Lap Choles. We return infants and children alive to their parents with no sign of the laryngospasm that happened back in the OR. We enable the thoracotomy patient to get up in a chair and walk down the hall postop with a thoracic epidural. We secure difficult airways before you succumb to hypoxia so you can have the cognitive ablility to pay our bill.

If you have any other question about why we command the pay we do, just have a chat with a lady in active labor... in a matter of minutes I can have a screaming "hell beast" smiling and snoring. I bet that labor patients would pay cash up front for their epidurals, especially if they've had them before... Hmmm... Maybe I'm on to something?

P.S. The vast majority of parturients are not "hell beasts" but we have all had the convulsing 17 to 20-something with the tachy-****s and tachy-lordys with your tuohy 7cm in their backs.

 

[MDhater]

1- Why does everyyyy anesthesiologist FREAK the **** out when people dont respect their job? you guys are like that kid who noone likes but insists he's super cool and important. its really hilarious


2- The reason they get paid so much IS supply and demand. In the 80s and 90s less full sedated procedures were done per capita. With increases in technology (CTs MRIs) and surgical tech, more and more people go under the knife every day. With this tech boom, a shortage of Anesthesia came. In the last 10 years there has been a boom in the number of residency spots. The day will come when their pay goes back down to the level of the general surgeon they work for.

 

[Gern Blansten]

I am trying to decide what to have for dinner tonight. Should I go with seafood or mexican food? What is everyone's favorites?
I recently had Chipotle's, and it was pretty good, but a little too filling for my tastes.

 

[DrBeaker]

1- Why does everyyyy anesthesiologist FREAK the **** out when people dont respect their job? you guys are like that kid who noone likes but insists he's super cool and important. its really hilarious


2- The reason they get paid so much IS supply and demand. In the 80s and 90s less full sedated procedures were done per capita. With increases in technology (CTs MRIs) and surgical tech, more and more people go under the knife every day. With this tech boom, a shortage of Anesthesia came. In the last 10 years there has been a boom in the number of residency spots. The day will come when their pay goes back down to the level of the general surgeon they work for.

I don't freak out, I just keep doing my job. I feel pretty well respected where I'm at. Thus, your first statement is false.

Why are you bringing up a 6year + old thread?

 

[DrBeaker]

I am trying to decide what to have for dinner tonight. Should I go with seafood or mexican food? What is everyone's favorites?
I recently had Chipotle's, and it was pretty good, but a little too filling for my tastes.

Go with seafood.

Chipotle gives me the runs. Especially not good if I had it for dinner that night before a day when someone disrespects my job and I FREAK OUT.

 

[IlDestriero]

I was respected today. I'm celebrating tonight by counting my money while watching a movie in my home theater after a trip to the gym. Just like most nights. Maybe I'll surf the net for a good deal on a gently used '10 911 Targa 4S.

-
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is."

 

[aneftp]

I always use Linda Tripp (aka from Bill Clinton/Moncia scandal) as example number one who the overpaid truly are.

As some may remember. Linda Tripp essentially has high school diploma but found out to be making close to $100k as basically a secretary.

Now multiple that by hundreds of thousands of Linda Tripps in the USA (especially in government fields).

Than ask yourself if anesthesiologists (or physicians in general) are over paid.

As someone who lived in the DC areas over half my life. I have been in contact with many highly overpaid contractors and government employees.

Now think of the responsibility level anesthesiologist have. We make a mistake. People die. And saying $300k is "overpaid?". Think about that.

In big cities. $300-350k is basically the "average pay for anesthesiologist".

That's usually with very little benefits. No retirement package.

Oh. That $100k salary the Linda Tripps of the world get. They usually get health benefits and 401k/pensions (older grandfatherd workers) packages worth an extra $30-50k extra.

 

[cincincyreds]

No offense to any of you guys, but why do anesthesiologists make so much $$? During my surgery + Ob/Gyn rotation, the anesthesiologists at all the hospitals I rotated through did jack-squat. They put the patient out then do their crossword puzzle, read a book, or chit-chat. And they start out at ~300k?! They make more than the damn surgeon doing the case! What am I missing here??

I'm a little offended. When I'm on ob, I could easily do 5-6 C-sections and 5-8 epidurals in a span from 7am-5pm. And I have no cRNAs or anesthesia residents. I do everything on my own. I think I work pretty hard, at least the nurses set everything up so I just have to stick a needle into the back. I can thus get an epidural in about 2 minutes including taping. I make about $1200 for the day. Is that too much money to you? Remember, 30% of that goes to tax, so now we are talking $840 or so for the day. My plumber gets $100 an hour cash for showing up, so after I pay my taxes, my plumber is making more by the hour. Truth be told, I don't think I'm making a lot of money.

 

[IlDestriero]

I'm a little offended. When I'm on ob, I could easily do 5-6 C-sections and 5-8 epidurals in a span from 7am-5pm. And I have no cRNAs or anesthesia residents. I do everything on my own. I think I work pretty hard, at least the nurses set everything up so I just have to stick a needle into the back. I can thus get an epidural in about 2 minutes including taping. I make about $1200 for the day. Is that too much money to you? Remember, 30% of that goes to tax, so now we are talking $840 or so for the day. My plumber gets $100 an hour cash for showing up, so after I pay my taxes, my plumber is making more by the hour. Truth be told, I don't think I'm making a lot of money.

That should be 3x that, sounds like .mil money, or UC system.

-
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is."

 

[darby11]

How much do you pay someone to worry about half a dozen people dieing every single day? and if it happens you are directly responsible? How much do you pay someone for preventing the deaths of 6 children who are having surgery ? Not sure. BUt trust me 300k or less is NOT ENOUGH!! for dealing with this daily. Moreover, dealing with this daily around people who dont know your responsibility and DONT care.. They only care when... something bad happens. How much do you pay someone to be in a one mistake job.. You kill a kid.. FIND ANOTHER SPECIALTY.. . And when something untowards happens you will WISH you werent even born let alone making a lot of money.. SO 300 K..... PEANUTS!!! I would gladly go back to pushing office paper for 100.

 

[gasblaster]

1- Why does everyyyy anesthesiologist FREAK the **** out when people dont respect their job? you guys are like that kid who noone likes but insists he's super cool and important. its really hilarious.

Um I'm pretty sure that no matter who you are or what you do you would like to be appreciated for it. You really think anesthesiologists are the only ones? Have you interacted with nurses, case management, social work, PT/OT, etc? Don't respect them and they'll freak the **** out too.

 

[urge]

Wow! Just read about the river pilots. Now I'm depressed.

http://blog.nola.com/tpmoney/2008/12/river_pilots_to_get_pay_raises.html

 

[naus]

1- Why does everyyyy anesthesiologist FREAK the **** out when people dont respect their job? you guys are like that kid who noone likes but insists he's super cool and important. its really hilarious


2- The reason they get paid so much IS supply and demand. In the 80s and 90s less full sedated procedures were done per capita. With increases in technology (CTs MRIs) and surgical tech, more and more people go under the knife every day. With this tech boom, a shortage of Anesthesia came. In the last 10 years there has been a boom in the number of residency spots. The day will come when their pay goes back down to the level of the general surgeon they work for.

Get into medical school first, dbag.

Respect must be earned in every specialty, not just because you're part of some specialty that only a premed or preclinical med student would salivate over.

 

[BLADEMDA]

1- Why does everyyyy anesthesiologist FREAK the **** out when people dont respect their job? you guys are like that kid who noone likes but insists he's super cool and important. its really hilarious


2- The reason they get paid so much IS supply and demand. In the 80s and 90s less full sedated procedures were done per capita. With increases in technology (CTs MRIs) and surgical tech, more and more people go under the knife every day. With this tech boom, a shortage of Anesthesia came. In the last 10 years there has been a boom in the number of residency spots. The day will come when their pay goes back down to the level of the general surgeon they work for.

My General Surgeons make in the high 300's/low 400's and we will be fortunate if that is where this specialty ends up after Obamacare decimates it.

 

[MrJiggles]

Around NYC its not unheard of for an Anesthesiologist to make more than the Surgeons in their cases. I rotated through anesthesia, loved it, considered doing it, and and am now choosing another specialty that I loved more that makes FAR less money (Psych). So I now recommend all the students do an anesthesia rotation at a litmus test to see how much they want to do what they think they want to do.

Certainly, I think the big matter of contention is between surgery folk and anesthesia, because they feel like anesthesiologists are doing nothing. Admittedly, alot of times the anesthesiologist IS looking at his Ipad while the surgeon is cutting away, so even if the anesthesiologist is doing important, good work, it does seem almost unfair from the surgeon's standpoint when you consider them making more money than the surgeon. Adding to that, anesthesia is heavily protocolized in the name of patient safety, and 90% of it is routine enough that a CRNA can do it, which justifies the use of CRNAs. If the anesthesiologist's full skillset during the 10% of emergencies is only seen 10% of the time, then probability dictates that most people (surgeons) will only not anesthesiologists in the full scope of their capacities, and will judge them accordingly. In the end its just an unfortunate by product of different scopes of practice and the odd culture of an OR. Look all doctors make fun of other specialties anyway, who cares!

 

[nitroglycerine]

CanGas is right.

 

[womp]

My General Surgeons make in the high 300's/low 400's and we will be fortunate if that is where this specialty ends up after Obamacare decimates it.

General Surgeons make around $250-280k nationally. Maybe they're under-reporting their incomes in surveys. But if they really were making $400k, you'd think they would be a little less bitter and malignant, since that easily puts them in the top 10th percentile of physician incomes. Looking at how little Medicare pays for common general surgery procedures, it's hard for me to see how they can make $400k unless they're the only doc in town and working 80 hrs a week.

 

[nimbus]

The general surgeons where I work drive Panameras and SL550s and own condos in Maui. I don't think they make 250. Of course they do 20min lap choles and 1hr sleeve gastrectomies.

They are not bitter.

 

[Dusn]

I think the better question might be, why don't more medical students go into anesthesia? Even CRNAs get paid more than many physicians.

But I agree with one of the posters above: the issue is not that anesthesiologists get paid too much but rather that certain other specialties get paid too little.

 

[Med0123]

Anesthesiologists are under INCREDIBLE amount of pressure and stress on selected cases such as in cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery or vascular surgery as are those surgeons and they are greatly rewarded for these cases

However, anesthesiologists doing some general surgery/urology/plastic/ENT procedures are receiving a compensation not always corresponding to the "amount of work" they do. IMHO, these surgeons should have their compensation reevaluated (read increased) and anesthesiologist compensation stay the same or slightly decrease for these types of procedures.

 

[BLADEMDA]

Anesthesiologists are under INCREDIBLE amount of pressure and stress on selected cases such as in cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery or vascular surgery as are those surgeons and they are greatly rewarded for these cases

However, anesthesiologists doing some general surgery/urology/plastic/ENT procedures are receiving a compensation not always corresponding to the "amount of work" they do. IMHO, these surgeons should have their compensation reevaluated (read increased) and anesthesiologist compensation stay the same or slightly decrease for these types of procedures.

Medicare has already listened to your advice. If you do 75 percent Medicare and 25 percent Medicaid you will average around $150-180,000 annually. This means that circa 2022 when almost all your cases are CMS you will get your wish of much lower salaries compared to general surgeons who will still be earning over $250K per year.

 

[naus]

Medicare has already listened to your advice. If you do 75 percent Medicare and 25 percent Medicaid you will average around $150-180,000 annually. This means that circa 2022 when almost all your cases are CMS you will get your wish of much lower salaries compared to general surgeons who will still be earning over $250K per year.

Would going critical care salvage your salary if you dip below 180k?

 

[saratoga733]

anesthesiologists make more than general surgeons NOT because of relative increase compensation per case but because they are ALWAYS in the OR. a busy surgeon may have block time once a week... maybe two if they are REALLY busy. also need to consider some have overhead such as office space and secretary/nurse on payroll. whereas anesthesiologists are doing cases 5 days+ a week, pretty much all day long.

 

[BLADEMDA]

anesthesiologists make more than general surgeons NOT because of relative increase compensation per case but because they are ALWAYS in the OR. a busy surgeon may have block time once a week... maybe two if they are REALLY busy. also need to consider some have overhead such as office space and secretary/nurse on payroll. whereas anesthesiologists are doing cases 5 days+ a week, pretty much all day long.

Some General surgeons operate 3 days a week and are quite busy. Those surgeons are making over $350 annually possibly more depending on payer mix. The surgeons I know are all clearing $350 wth several over $400K per year. By the way every one of them works fewer hours per week than I do.

CT surgeons, vascular surgeons,etc are easily clearing $600K per year with some earning in excess of $800K

 

[Med0123]

Medicare has already listened to your advice. If you do 75 percent Medicare and 25 percent Medicaid you will average around $150-180,000 annually. This means that circa 2022 when almost all your cases are CMS you will get your wish of much lower salaries compared to general surgeons who will still be earning over $250K per year.

wow really.. ? that gives you time to get a visa to work here in Canada where our average anesthesiologist earns > $375K

 

[BLADEMDA]

wow really.. ? that gives you time to get a visa to work here in Canada where our average anesthesiologist earns > $375K

My advice is stay in Canada. You will earn more money, have less red tape and much fewer malpractice headaches than in the USA (not to mention no AANA... Yet)

 

[urge]

A
Certainly, I think the big matter of contention is between surgery folk and anesthesia, because they feel like anesthesiologists are doing nothing. Admittedly, alot of times the anesthesiologist IS looking at his Ipad while the surgeon is cutting away, so even if the anesthesiologist is doing important, good work, it does seem almost unfair from the surgeon's standpoint when you consider them making more money than the surgeon.

It's just like pilots and flight attendants.

Pilots & anesthesiologists skills are critical at the beginning and at the end. Not so much in the middle.

Flight attendants and surgeons skills are critical in the middle of the flight. Not so much beginning or end. Have you seen scrub tech close up patients while surgeons put their feet up in the lounge? Who is the lazy bum now?

Who do you think makes more money, pilots or flight attendants? So, why are we talking about this. It's self explanatory.

 

[Med0123]

It's just like pilots and flight attendants.

Pilots & anesthesiologists skills are critical at the beginning and at the end. Not so much in the middle.

Flight attendants and surgeons skills are critical in the middle of the flight. Not so much beginning or end. Have you seen scrub tech close up patients while surgeons put their feet up in the lounge? Who is the lazy bum now?

Who do you think makes more money, pilots or flight attendants? So, why are we talking about this. It's self explanatory.

oh wow it must be very unpleasant for a surgeon to work WITH you

 

[Dx Feelgood]

Anesthesiologists get paid to formulate an anesthetic plan that keeps the patient safe and alive. When they do a good job, it allows them to sit and do nothing but listen to the pulse ox beep at a rate of 60 at a high pitch. If the patient is sick, or the plan is bad, you will see them doing things to fix it. What you don't see while you are holding traction is that they are fixing the blood pressure with intermittent doses of pressors, timing the anesthetic, keeping the patient adequately relaxed, treating pain, monitoring blood loss, ensuring adequate tissue perfusion in the face of slow (or sometimes rapid) hemorrhage, and much, much more...Watch the new CA1's (good luck guys) this next month and you will see how difficult it is to make it look easy. They are paid well to ANTICIPATE potential problems and ensure that they don't happen, and fix them when they do. If they are doing sudoku, that means the patient is just fine. And while you are closing skin, they are thinking about the patient's cardiovascular status, the respiratory status, the neurologic status, endocrine, metabolic, renal and probably others as dictated by the co-morbidities of the patient. Ive seen pulmonary fellows come into the OR (only learn how to intubate) and flail at managing the case. That dude(anesthesiologist) sitting there reading the paper is SKILLED, multitasking, and getting paid for a good reason that you are obviously oblivious to.

Just because LeBron can easily dunk, doesn't mean it's easy.

 

[Ignatius J]

To OP,

Why don't you ask the surgeons why they don't just provide their own anesthesia then? If it's so easy, why do they involve us? They can just do the anesthesia themselves and bill for it?

Why are we increasingly involved in the IR, cardiology, and GI suites? Just a little Versed and Fentanyl should get 'em through, right?

The answer is the fact that anesthesiologists are extensively trained in keeping patients alive. As hard as you think surgeons work, the anesthesiologist's job is to keep a patient alive while the surgeons cut into flesh and splice and dice their major organs.

If it's so easy, maybe you can talk an anesthesiologist into letting you shadow him. If he's nice he may let you try procedures. You may not even make it past starting the IV in holding before you get bumped
and sent back to the floor to write 'sliding scale insulin protocol' and 'restart home meds' on the admission sheets.

 

[pgg]

Anesthesiologists get paid to formulate an anesthetic plan that keeps the patient safe and alive. When they do a good job, it allows them to sit and do nothing but listen to the pulse ox beep at a rate of 60 at a high pitch. If the patient is sick, or the plan is bad, you will see them doing things to fix it. What you don't see while you are holding traction is that they are fixing the blood pressure with intermittent doses of pressors, timing the anesthetic, keeping the patient adequately relaxed, treating pain, monitoring blood loss, ensuring adequate tissue perfusion in the face of slow (or sometimes rapid) hemorrhage, and much, much more...Watch the new CA1's (good luck guys) this next month and you will see how difficult it is to make it look easy. They are paid well to ANTICIPATE potential problems and ensure that they don't happen, and fix them when they do. If they are doing sudoku, that means the patient is just fine. And while you are closing skin, they are thinking about the patient's cardiovascular status, the respiratory status, the neurologic status, endocrine, metabolic, renal and probably others as dictated by the co-morbidities of the patient. Ive seen pulmonary fellows come into the OR (only learn how to intubate) and flail at managing the case. That dude(anesthesiologist) sitting there reading the paper is SKILLED, multitasking, and getting paid for a good reason that you are obviously oblivious to.

Just because LeBron can easily dunk, doesn't mean it's easy.

You joined SDN five years ago, and this is your first post?

Please stick around.

 

[gasblaster]

You joined SDN five years ago, and this is your first post?

Please stick around.

 

[WashMe]

You joined SDN five years ago, and this is your first post?

Please stick around.

yeah for real, holy crap

 

[jetproppilot]

I'm a little offended. When I'm on ob, I could easily do 5-6 C-sections and 5-8 epidurals in a span from 7am-5pm. And I have no cRNAs or anesthesia residents. I do everything on my own. I think I work pretty hard, at least the nurses set everything up so I just have to stick a needle into the back. I can thus get an epidural in about 2 minutes including taping. I make about $1200 for the day. Is that too much money to you? Remember, 30% of that goes to tax, so now we are talking $840 or so for the day. My plumber gets $100 an hour cash for showing up, so after I pay my taxes, my plumber is making more by the hour. Truth be told, I don't think I'm making a lot of money.

That's a big workload.

Twelve hundred bucks for all that?

Dude if all those cases were worst case scenario....Medicaid...

that's

At least

FOUR LARGE IN BILLED CHARGES.

WORST CASE SCENERIO.

Working for

The Man

sucks.

 

[TRuSchool]

Do you think surgeons hate grand rounds bc its a waste of time for them? lol

 

[cincincyreds]

That's a big workload.

Twelve hundred bucks for all that?

Dude if all those cases were worst case scenario....Medicaid...

that's

At least

FOUR LARGE IN BILLED CHARGES.

WORST CASE SCENERIO.

Working for

The Man

sucks.

If you want to offer me a job in Manhattan I am all ears. Just pm me.

 

[Mman]

Anesthesiologists are under INCREDIBLE amount of pressure and stress on selected cases such as in cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery or vascular surgery as are those surgeons and they are greatly rewarded for these cases

However, anesthesiologists doing some general surgery/urology/plastic/ENT procedures are receiving a compensation not always corresponding to the "amount of work" they do. IMHO, these surgeons should have their compensation reevaluated (read increased) and anesthesiologist compensation stay the same or slightly decrease for these types of procedures.

Really? What's that INCREDIBLE pressure with a CABG? There is a perfusionist in the room. If we come off pump and struggle, we just go back on. And we aren't even extubating the patient in the room. To me, they are about the most boring procedure you can have especially if the surgeon is slow. Sitting on pump for 3 hours watching the clock tick isn't very exciting or stressful.

But you badmouth shorter more superficial procedures and say we should get compensation "reevaluated" for them? Really? Do you even know how compensation works for anesthesia? We get a ton more units for a heart than we do for tonsils and adenoids. But it's far more stressful dealing with all those snotty 2 year olds in the winter that try very hard to laryngospasm after being extubated. Doing 20 peds ENT cases before noon is far more stressful than doing many bigger more complicated surgical procedures.

Heck, a whipple is about as boring as it gets if the epidural is working well. Hours of dissection, minimal blood loss, and a hemodynamically stable patient. Stress in a procedure for the anesthesiologist is not the same as the stress in a procedure for a surgeon.

 

[Jackiesaurus92]

People on this forum are saying that anesthesiologists get paid an average of $350-$450K a year. For a wisdom tooth surgery/removal i got done yeaterday, i paid my anesthesiologist $600, and it was less than a one hour surgery. He and my surgeon worked together on 10 patients that day. If the anesthesiologist was in the operating room even just three days a week, based on the 10p/day average, he would in effect be making $936K a year.

Now the surgeon who performed the surgery on me laid a charge of $400 per tooth removed. I think the surgeon deserved much more credit (financially) than the anesthesiologist, ESP in a situation where a patient as young and healthy as me were involved, or that te anesthesiologist would not have much to do or worry about during the surgery.

The $600 I paid for an hour of gas is IMO ridiculous. That isn't to say I don't think other professionals' salaries match their efforts eg lawyers, so lets not bring lawyers and other non medical professionals into this thread for now.

Does anybody agree that anesthesiologists are in MOST cases way too overpaid? Again, I'm going on own knowledge here of the surgery I myself did and was charged for, so that's a pretty limited one. Feel free to correct me!

 

[deleted307836]

Wow, the number of views this thread has is an indication of how often this topic is googled (undoubtedly how the above poster got here).

 

[IlDestriero]

People on this forum are saying that anesthesiologists get paid an average of $350-$450K a year. For a wisdom tooth surgery/removal i got done yeaterday, i paid my anesthesiologist $600, and it was less than a one hour surgery. He and my surgeon worked together on 10 patients that day. If the anesthesiologist was in the operating room even just three days a week, based on the 10p/day average, he would in effect be making $936K a year.

Now the surgeon who performed the surgery on me laid a charge of $400 per tooth removed. I think the surgeon deserved much more credit (financially) than the anesthesiologist, ESP in a situation where a patient as young and healthy as me were involved, or that te anesthesiologist would not have much to do or worry about during the surgery.

The $600 I paid for an hour of gas is IMO ridiculous. That isn't to say I don't think other professionals' salaries match their efforts eg lawyers, so lets not bring lawyers and other non medical professionals into this thread for now.

Does anybody agree that anesthesiologists are in MOST cases way too overpaid? Again, I'm going on own knowledge here of the surgery I myself did and was charged for, so that's a pretty limited one. Feel free to correct me!

1. You overpaid.
2. Your lawyer can't keep you alive when you're under and surgeons are doing things to you that would kill you if you were awake. They also can't recognise and fix issues before the surgeon or dentist even know they're happening.
3. If you think anesthesiologists are overpaid, you don't know how much efficient surgical specialists make.
4. If your dentist needs a new gas man, have him give me a ring.

 

[StayOnTop]

Most Anesthesiologists don't start out at $300K, especially when it's not after a fellowship.

 

[urge]

No offense to any of you guys, but why do anesthesiologists make so much $$? During my surgery + Ob/Gyn rotation, the anesthesiologists at all the hospitals I rotated through did jack-squat. They put the patient out then do their crossword puzzle, read a book, or chit-chat. And they start out at ~300k?! They make more than the damn surgeon doing the case! What am I missing here??

How do you think those patients were getting anesthetized if he wasn't doing "anything"?

 

[Jackiesaurus92]

1. You overpaid.
2. Your lawyer can't keep you alive when you're under and surgeons are doing things to you that would kill you if you were awake. They also can't recognise and fix issues before the surgeon or dentist even know they're happening.
3. If you think anesthesiologists are overpaid, you don't know how much efficient surgical specialists make.
4. If your dentist needs a new gas man, have him give me a ring.

1) oh, thanks for letting me know. I didn't have great resources to shop around for dentists which were highly renowned and also offer cheap anesthetist services with anesthesiologists which don't overcharge. My main concern was the skill of the surgeon, as my teeth had I be removed very carefully as they were impacted, growing sideways and lying near a nerve. Consultations with dentists aren't cheap, so I didn't shop around too much.

2) leave lawyers out of this please. I said I know they're overpaid and ringing them up in a forum about anesthesiologists is a red herring.

3) as I said, surgeons I think are way more skilled than anesthesiologists, an thus deserve the relatively high numeration they make. Would you give more credit to the guy who made Microsoft or the guy who installs it for you?

4) haha sorry but I don't think it's my place. My specialist dentist who is also an ophthalmic maxillo-surgeon most likely has his valid reasons to team up with that anesthetist. He also has no shortage of customers so I don't think he would get a cheaper anasthetist.

 

[punkedoutriffs]

3) as I said, surgeons I think are way more skilled than anesthesiologists, an thus deserve the relatively high numeration they make. Would you give more credit to the guy who made Microsoft or the guy who installs it for you?

 

[urge]

3) as I said, surgeons I think are way more skilled than anesthesiologists, an thus deserve the relatively high numeration they make.

What is your base for this? Are you aware that people who cannot get into med school usually end up in dentistry?

Would you give more credit to the guy who made Microsoft or the guy who installs it for you?

You are not very good at analogies. That might explain why the answer to your original question still eludes you.

 

[314117]

Unfortunately, lawyer salaries arent regulated by the federal government. Doctors are in the unfortunate position of having their income dictated by bureaucrats in Washington DC



Pilots work in a free market, doctors dont

The bottom line is that doctors incomes, especially specialty docs like gas, are going to plummet once universal healthcare takes over. Its just a matter of time. Some government bureucrat is going to see that gas docs average 300k and say "hmmmm..... govt could save a lot of money by cutting these guys down to say 120k. AFter all thats still in the top 1% of income earners so they have no right to complain"

You're an idiot. Where do you get the idea that $12ok is the "top 1% of income earners??

 

[jeffblue]

People on this forum are saying that anesthesiologists get paid an average of $350-$450K a year. For a wisdom tooth surgery/removal i got done yeaterday, i paid my anesthesiologist $600, and it was less than a one hour surgery. He and my surgeon worked together on 10 patients that day. If the anesthesiologist was in the operating room even just three days a week, based on the 10p/day average, he would in effect be making $936K a year.

Now the surgeon who performed the surgery on me laid a charge of $400 per tooth removed. I think the surgeon deserved much more credit (financially) than the anesthesiologist, ESP in a situation where a patient as young and healthy as me were involved, or that te anesthesiologist would not have much to do or worry about during the surgery.

The $600 I paid for an hour of gas is IMO ridiculous. That isn't to say I don't think other professionals' salaries match their efforts eg lawyers, so lets not bring lawyers and other non medical professionals into this thread for now.

Does anybody agree that anesthesiologists are in MOST cases way too overpaid? Again, I'm going on own knowledge here of the surgery I myself did and was charged for, so that's a pretty limited one. Feel free to correct me!

Anesthesiologists get paid commensurate with the level of responsibility. It is a one mistake job. DO you think 600 dollars is too much for assuring your safe emergence too much? You are ignorant as to what we do.

On the same note, many people make a lot of money. The president makes 500k. It doesnt look like hard work.People in congress make a few hundred thousand per year and they barely work. Calif Highway patrolmen make six figures for riding in a car and hangin out at the donut shop. I bankers, Lawyers, Dentists, engineers, the ceo of home depot.. Are you against all of these people making money? Its ok for the CEO of home depot to make 20 million per year but the anesthesiologist who was taking care of you.. the minute he makes 600 dollars you are crying.

 

[Sublimazing]

ophthalmic maxillo-surgeon

I can't tell if that would be super specialized...or extensively broad

Eitherway I wouldn't let him near my eyes, my teeth, or my maxillo

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

You're an idiot. Where do you get the idea that $12ok is the "top 1% of income earners??

I dont' think he's coming back to defend himself. He posted that 7 years ago and got banned.