Quote:
Originally Posted by HeartMD
Totally agree. You need to go into medicine because you love it. Hardwork does pay off in the end and like Larthal stated as a physician you will always make enough money to live comfortably. Now on the other hand any person going into medicine really needs to realize the amount of their future debt will be. Like you I went to a state school in NY and am paying.... to be exact $2,037.50 per month for the next 24 years, which really does make a significant impact on your lifestyle. It literally is a mortgage for a very nice house albiet without the house. Now you factor in kids, their school, living expenses and your actual mortgage and you really can put yourself into a rather tight situation. I really have to admit that Iam very envious of our foreign trained colleagues, who have ZERO student debt and basically pocket their full post tax salary.
Increasing taxes, with decreased reimbursments is a fact that we can not ignore. In regards to being hospital employed which appears to be the wave of the future, now that has its pros and cons. The hospital where I work provides base pay, malpractice and all over head, as well as an RVU based productivity system. Though through this model you will have a relative stable income it is at the cost of finacial autonomy which can be good but wont ever let your significantly exceed your salary as otherwise would a very productive private practice.
Healthcare reimbursments have always followed a rollercoaster like pattern so I have heard. Im sure some of the more seasoned physicians on this board can provided better insight into the reimbursments trends through out the years as Iam relatively young in the field to really give any info.
|
I'm not a fan of being a hospital employee. One of the biggest perks for me is autonomy. Not only financial, but personally. If I want to make more, I work more. If I want to take a vacation, I take it off. There's nobody telling me how hard to work or how to work. Also you know that the hospital is making money off you.
In my practice, the difference in pay from the lowest earner to the highest earner is astronomical. The guy who makes the most, takes a ton of call and goes to 3 separate locations. That's the way it should be. You should be rewarded for hard work.
A friend of mine is chief of Ortho at one of the Kaiser's in Cali. The problem there is that there are surgeons in his group who are barely working, but they all make the same. He says he can't fire them, because they are shareholders and have been there a long time. Over time it really builds up animosity between the physicians.
I paid off all my student loans in 1 1/2 years. I took call from my partners and was basically on call 5 of 7 days during the week. I was averaging 15 cases/week. I'm grateful that I was able to ramp it up to pay off those loans. I'm also grateful now that I can ramp down and live the lifestyle I see fit.