Working at an URGENT CARE CENTER

[ZRF80]

Am I the only one that hasheard of this ? Im an intern of Int. Medicine, and I know mostly FP docs go into this field, but what do you guys think ?

It's usually primary same day care without the paperwork. Patients walk in (like a mini ER), get their tx, and head home. If case is severe enough, send to major hospital ER.

Does anyone have any insight on this ?

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[Hernandez]

Am I the only one that hasheard of this ? Im an intern of Int. Medicine, and I know mostly FP docs go into this field, but what do you guys think ?

It's usually primary same day care without the paperwork. Patients walk in (like a mini ER), get their tx, and head home. If case is severe enough, send to major hospital ER.

Does anyone have any insight on this ?

I moonlight in an urgent care. There is paperwork, pretty much everyone has insurance. and it's almost all sniffles and coughs and sinus infections. If it's bad enough, off to the ED or you warn them of the risks of not going to the ed.

I know a few IM docs who work only at Urgent cares. In some states, working Urgent care makes very good money. I know FP, EM, and even a few Ortho people who'll moonlight in them on the side, but only IM & FP who work them regularly after graduation.

 

[ZRF80]

I moonlight in an urgent care. There is paperwork, pretty much everyone has insurance. and it's almost all sniffles and coughs and sinus infections. If it's bad enough, off to the ED or you warn them of the risks of not going to the ed.

I know a few IM docs who work only at Urgent cares. In some states, working Urgent care makes very good money. I know FP, EM, and even a few Ortho people who'll moonlight in them on the side, but only IM & FP who work them regularly after graduation.

Know any place where I could get more info about the field ? I just cant seem to find any info on job opportunities, and when you ask fellow MDs, you get a "well, it's only for FP docs" response. Im really interested.....

 

[Hernandez]

Know any place where I could get more info about the field ? I just cant seem to find any info on job opportunities, and when you ask fellow MDs, you get a "well, it's only for FP docs" response. Im really interested.....

I've not seen any ads for UCs looking for docs. The Urgent cares in my area are either run by the physcians who own them or are staffed by an agency. I work for a group which staffs the UCs for a large hospital.

 

[dragonfly99]

Usually the urgent care places (at least in my area) like only to hire people who have finished residency and are board certified...so that means IM, fp and med/peds trained people who already took their board exams. I was told by one place that they only take board certified folks...so you could be a board certified NP or PA, and work there, but not a resident. I suspect this isn't true @all places, but in general it can be a liability issue for them to have someone working there who isn't board certified, and/or some insurance companies won't credential someone who isn't, so they might refuse to pay for any services provided by a non board certified person.

One could definitely make a career out of urgent care. There is some sort of American Assn of Urgent Care Physicians (not sure I got the name exactly right but you can google it). There are even a few urgent care fellowships, but I don't really see the need to do one for most people.

I have seen help wanted ads (or had them mailed to me) for urgent care docs, but there are far fewer such pleas than for primary care or hospitalists. Usually they are looking for med/peds or family practice folks because they like for people to be able to take care of both kids and adults.

 

[randomedstudent]

Am I the only one that hasheard of this ? Im an intern of Int. Medicine, and I know mostly FP docs go into this field, but what do you guys think ?

It's usually primary same day care without the paperwork. Patients walk in (like a mini ER), get their tx, and head home. If case is severe enough, send to major hospital ER.

Does anyone have any insight on this ?

It is common for IM (and EM and FP) residents at my institution to moonlight in urgent care centers. I am told that one can equal their resident salary working about 5 shifts/month. Doing the math tells me that working 15 shifts a month would be $140k or about the same as a general internist who def. works a lot more than 15 shifts (I think they are usually 8 hr. shifts but maybe 12's on weekends). I have def. considered looking into this as a possibility for after residency.
The many pros include - seemingly good pay on a per/hr basis (I suppose you could do quite well if willing to work your butt off), more variety than a general outpt. practice while also not having to deal with most of the health maintenance stuff and adjusting BP and diabetes meds, more regular hours than EM (ie. most centers around here close by 9 pm and might only be open like 6 hours on Sat. so no nights), you don't have a patient base so aren't as "tied down" to your practice, can get a job virtually anywhere, etc.
Cons - possibly less satisfying and less respected by colleagues, might get boring, ???, I'm sure there are more, but they aren't coming to me right now

It sounds pretty good on paper but I still need to look into it further and obviously need to experience it for myself to see if I like it.

 

[deleted6669]

do you see any conflict professionally with IM docs working urgent care?
lots of UC is peds, ortho, and obgyn probs in which IM docs have no training outside of ms3/ms4...that's why FP and EM work most of these positions....if there was a bad outcome with a kid wouldn't you be open to litigation more than someone who could demonstrate peds training in residency?

 

[ZRF80]

-emedpa-

You make an excellent point. One of the reasons I created this thread. As an internist, I wouldnt feel comfortable handling a child or a pregnant woman. Does that pretty much rule out any chance of working at an Urgent Care Center ? Id like to know more about the field. Common sense tells me Id be better off if I were a FP or EM resident. But I have heard otherwise.....anyone else want to chime in ?

 

[Isoprop]

i've been to 2 urgent care centers as a patient within the last 3 years. both times, i was seen by an internist. it's definitely possible to work as an internist at an urgent care clinic, but you won't be seeing one run entirely by IM docs. both times, there was at least 1 peds patient in the waiting room.