Is becoming a Family Medicine doc or General Practitioner a bad investment?
 We all know that specialists
(cardiologists, surgeons, etc) | PolkHighRB | 03/11/10 |
| I think it depends on your risk
assessment priorities and as | Guest | 03/12/10 |
| Agreed with the above. However, as
a peds person I can't te | Guest | 03/12/10 |
| My family practioneer makes bank.
She works 4 days a week, | Guest | 03/23/10 |
 But I also heard that getting into
one of those residency pr | greenhorn | 03/23/10 |
PolkHighRB (Mar 11 - 4:49 pm)
We all know that specialists (cardiologists, surgeons, etc) make great money, so to me it would appear that those extra years of residency really pay off. But, for doctors that go into Family Medicine (probably working in private practice), is the money good enough to justify the investment in tuition and years in residency? It seems like these are the doctors suffering the most in this economy, especially in private practice.
Also, how about Pediatricians? Do they fall under the Family Medicine umbrella? Thanks.
Reply
We all know that specialists (cardiologists, surgeons, etc) make great money, so to me it would appear that those extra years of residency really pay off. But, for doctors that go into Family Medicine (probably working in private practice), is the money good enough to justify the investment in tuition and years in residency? It seems like these are the doctors suffering the most in this economy, especially in private practice.
Also, how about Pediatricians? Do they fall under the Family Medicine umbrella? Thanks.
Reply
Guest (Mar 12 - 9:38 am)
I think it depends on your risk assessment priorities and as always, the devil is in the details. For some, medicine is a calling and they can't imagine doing anything else not matter the cost (see the poop hotdog thread). Financially speaking, as long as you don't have student loans, even a career in family med will pay you pretty well compared to the rest of the U.S. So, if you've got a med school school scholarship or mom and pop are able to pay, AND if you actually think you might like medicine, then it's probably not a bad investment. If you got stuck with $300,000 of loans, the no, it's probably a bad investment since your net pay after taxes, expenses, loan payments, etc is going to be pretty small compared to most people, physician or not. Especially when you figure in the work hours...
Peds has been an underpaid field for a long long time now. For financial purposes, yes, it does fall under the Family Medicine umbrella.
Reply
I think it depends on your risk assessment priorities and as always, the devil is in the details. For some, medicine is a calling and they can't imagine doing anything else not matter the cost (see the poop hotdog thread). Financially speaking, as long as you don't have student loans, even a career in family med will pay you pretty well compared to the rest of the U.S. So, if you've got a med school school scholarship or mom and pop are able to pay, AND if you actually think you might like medicine, then it's probably not a bad investment. If you got stuck with $300,000 of loans, the no, it's probably a bad investment since your net pay after taxes, expenses, loan payments, etc is going to be pretty small compared to most people, physician or not. Especially when you figure in the work hours...
Peds has been an underpaid field for a long long time now. For financial purposes, yes, it does fall under the Family Medicine umbrella.
Reply
Guest (Mar 12 - 3:04 pm)
Agreed with the above. However, as a peds person I can't tell you how many of my friends, relatives, and strangers off the street say they wish they had my job. True, they don't know all the investment, hardships, and s$^$ we have to go through. But I have to say even on the low end of the salary spectrum in medicine, my job has a lot more rewarding aspects than many medical specialties, and certainly other high-paying jobs (law, banking, etc..) Even when I've met with hospital administrators whom I know make more $$$ than I can expect, I have gotten the sense that they wish they could do/see the things I do (taking care of acutely ill children) I guess that's some of the 'payback' that's not included in salary. Unfortunately, it won't pay my loans....(see Sallie Mae thread)
Reply
Agreed with the above. However, as a peds person I can't tell you how many of my friends, relatives, and strangers off the street say they wish they had my job. True, they don't know all the investment, hardships, and s$^$ we have to go through. But I have to say even on the low end of the salary spectrum in medicine, my job has a lot more rewarding aspects than many medical specialties, and certainly other high-paying jobs (law, banking, etc..) Even when I've met with hospital administrators whom I know make more $$$ than I can expect, I have gotten the sense that they wish they could do/see the things I do (taking care of acutely ill children) I guess that's some of the 'payback' that's not included in salary. Unfortunately, it won't pay my loans....(see Sallie Mae thread)
Reply
Guest (Mar 23 - 4:13 am)
My family practioneer makes bank. She works 4 days a week, refuses to provide health insurance to staff, refuses to bill insurance, and charges $160 for a 10 minute visit.
Reply
My family practioneer makes bank. She works 4 days a week, refuses to provide health insurance to staff, refuses to bill insurance, and charges $160 for a 10 minute visit.
Reply
greenhorn (Mar 23 - 9:26 am)
But I also heard that getting into one of those residency programs is very selective. Not everybody who graduates med school can get into one of those residencies.
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Post a message in this threadBut I also heard that getting into one of those residency programs is very selective. Not everybody who graduates med school can get into one of those residencies.
Reply