Working at a VAH limits your future?

[ecCA1]

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Is a few-year stint at the VA something that would cause many private practices to view an applicant negatively? Most VAHs are quite busy, doing AAAs, loads of regional and thoracic, etc. Granted there would be no peds or OB, are they generally thought of negatively by prospective private employers?

 

[karizma098]

It depends on how long you've worked there..If it was a short stint, it's not a big deal, but i know for a fact the private practice groups don't consider applicants who have solely worked at a VA. This stands true in other fields as well, not just anesthesia. most desirable IM groups don't want VA docs. Again, this is what i know from northwest indiana and chicago, can't speak for elsewhere.

 

[IlDestriero]

There are 2 tiers of VA hospitals. One tier with faculty affiliated with premium hospitals and medical schools, and the rest, that are not. The former would be preferable to the latter.
If good jobs are harder to find these days, a couple years of experience at a 1st tier VA hospital might be just what you need to land the dream job.

 

[Coastie]

There are 2 tiers of VA hospitals. One tier with faculty affiliated with premium hospitals and medical schools, and the rest, that are not. The former would be preferable to the latter.
If good jobs are harder to find these days, a couple years of experience at a 1st tier VA hospital might be just what you need to land the dream job.

Every VA hospital job I've seen seems to be overly chill (1:1 coverage, a case or two a day). How could that be helpful?

 

[Antibodies]

Explain to a med student... why would a private practice not like physicians who worked at a VA?

 

[IlDestriero]

Every VA hospital job I've seen seems to be overly chill (1:1 coverage, a case or two a day). How could that be helpful?

Well if you have a faculty appointment at Harvard, Penn, Stanford, etc and take care of sick people every day, placing blocks, etc for 2 years, that might be better than moving your family to some shiity backwoods location to a crappy job just because you couldn't find a better job this year. When your desired job opens up, you'll be board certified and should be a little more competitive than the average resident.👍

 

[karizma098]

Explain to a med student... why would a private practice not like physicians who worked at a VA?

aside from the exceptions mentioned by Il D.,

these tend to be very chill and low volume jobs, you see the same kind of patient over and over again, don't have a lot of exposure to a diverse patient population. Many docs feel that VA docs 'lose' a lot of their skills.
again, just a stereotype, not necessarily true.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

In the past, the VA did not require board certification, I do not know if this is still true. Unfortunately, this allowed some subpar docs to work there.

Some VA's do all kinds of stuff like AAA's, CABG's, thoracotomies, cranis, etc. but I think that this is the minority.

 

[karizma098]

In the past, the VA did not require board certification, I do not know if this is still true. Unfortunately, this allowed some subpar docs to work there.

Some VA's do all kinds of stuff like AAA's, CABG's, thoracotomies, cranis, etc. but I think that this is the minority.

The certification thing is still true, also VA hospitals will occasionally , hire docs that are banned from licensure in the state - IE , didn't pass usmle step1, 2, 3 in enough attempts. illinois allows for 6 or 7 combined attempts on these exams...if it takes more than that you will have trouble getting licensed. the only way to work in illinois after being banned from practice for licensing reasons is to work at the VA.