Work-Life Balance for PCP

[GoofyPaw]

How are the hours for primary care physicians? I read somewhere that working forty hour flat is considered part-time for doctors. Is that true? Fifty-55 hours sounds very doable, but more than that for the rest of my life sounds sounds daunting.

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[Piglet2020]

Difficult to say, as most doctors bring work home with them but dont count it in their hrs. There’s a lot of paperwork, but this is especially true for PCP’s since many dont have scribes. I’ve seen PCP’s carry a huge stack of papers on their way out. They have it rough w/ all the documentation reqs nowadays.

 

[GoofyPaw]

Difficult to say, as most doctors bring work home with them but dont count it in their hrs. There’s a lot of paperwork, but this is especially true for PCP’s since many dont have scribes. I’ve seen PCP’s carry a huge stack of papers on their way out. They have it rough w/ all the documentation reqs nowadays.

That's what I worry about. Even if you put forty hours at the hospital, it sounds like it's imperative that you bring home some work, which might add up to fifty to fifty five hours. As for you, do you find yourself bringing home work, pushing you past the forty hour mark?

 

[Piglet2020]

I’m not a doctor (yet) lol. This was based on shadowing and clinical experience.

You can ask your PCP if you could shadow them to see what it’s like.

 

[cantankerous]

I shadowed a PCP who had three very young triplets who needed lots of attention due to their poor health. She was also a gerontologist, so her day involved lots of traveling to various nursing homes as well.

You will make time for the things that are important to you. Don't worry about it.

 

[Planes2Doc]

It’s what you make of it. During my medical school rotations, I rotated with a family medicine physician that saw 40-50 patients each day on top of hospital rounds in the AM (you don’t see this as much anymore). He also worked on Saturdays every other week. On the other hand, I met PCPs that work part-time. You can call the shots, especially if it’s your own practice.

 

[HuskyMD Emeritus]

If you are looking for a 40 work week, then medicine is not the career for you, especially if you are in a specialty that requires being on call. Even bankers nowadays put in more than 40 hours!

 

[Ad2b]

My ex bf is a primary care doc in a suburb of large city. His daily routine:

5:30 - wake
6:30 - off to clinic
(insert day's activities which I won't belabor here)
6:30 - call to say he's on his way home
7:00 - home
8:30 - check email, labs, finishing dictation/notes
10:00 - watch news
10:30 - finish up any stuff from 8:30
12:00 - bed

He had 1/2 days on Th every week, rotated on-call every 4th weekend. So 52 / week average at clinic + on-call weekends which varied from insanely busy to quiet. I would say if including his at-home stuff, his average per week probably went easily to 65+ and he always was back in on Sunday nights to make sure things were set up for Monday.

And none of that includes Grand Rounds or weekly seminars which happened over lunch or dinner or the Board meetings which took more time away from patient things which also extended his hours.

Oh and because we were not married, he always was put up for holiday on-call as well so that families could be together 🙂 If you're single, this might be where you spend your first holidays. In the hospital, not with your family.

 

[GoofyPaw]

If you are looking for a 40 work week, then medicine is not the career for you, especially if you are in a specialty that requires being on call. Even bankers nowadays put in more than 40 hours!

I can stomach 50 to 55 hours a week. Hitting the sixty hour weeks will be pushing it, especially once I hit my fifties.

 

[Ad2b]

I can stomach 50 to 55 hours a week. Hitting the sixty hour weeks will be pushing it, especially once I hit my fifties.

Wimp.🤣 (I'm 53 regularly work 45+ and go to school)

 

[Soccer171983]

It is highly variable. An outpatient primary care physician may have office hours somewhere between 8am to about 5pm which is pretty standard. A lot of PCP that own their own practice then do the business end of it afterward which could be several hours. That being said, 40 hour work week would seem very unrealistic if you do anything where you are running your own practice. IF you work urgent care/ER and work 4 10 hour shifts a week it is very doable. Considering the various specialities 40 hours seems pretty light. I am in pulmonary and critical care and if you consider night call and weekend coverage there will be weeks you will hit 80 hours. Internal medicine inpatient with the 7 on 7 off paradigm I wouldnt be surprised if you hit 80 hours one week and nothing the next averaging out 40 hours a week. It all is so variable and difficult to answer. IF you have a particular scenario and specialty that may be easier to discuss. PRN work you can do whatever you want but short of that, 40 hours would be a lower end hour wise requirement from what I have seen.