S/O Doctors: post your salary and practice area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean are there tons of people who WANT to dedicate the next 40 yrs of their lives to ear infections and having to make small talk with 4 year olds??

Pediatrics is very rewarding. Before working in primary care, I worked in the pediatric ICU. You wouldn't believe how many kids are there for preventable reasons. It all comes back to primary care.

Unfortunately capitalism doesn't reward preventative care. Pediatricians can prevent many chronic diseases and ensure that kids enter adulthood healthy but healthy doesn't make the health care system money. Healthy doesn't lead to more surgeries and expensive hospital stays. We have our priorities all wrong.

[Anonymous]

We need more psychiatrists around here who focus on adolescents!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[clipped for space]

I guess it just seems to me like no one has much of guarantee anymore, though doctors have it better than others. I look at my MD/JD/MBA friends and at 35, I can’t tell you that one path was necessarily more financially lucrative than the other. if anything the biz and legal folks had time to pay down loans before having kids and buying houses. The docs will have to tackle both sinualtenously. Maybe at 45 they’ll pull ahead? And even that probably depends heavily on the specialty and location.

I see where you are coming from but it completely depends on your speciality. I agree with you if you are talking peds but most doctors marry other doctors and most doctors now are specialized. The worst part is the training but if you are looking to specialize the average salary is above 250k and you make that money for the rest of your life. The problem is that medicine is stressful and leads to burn out but I wouldn’t feel bad for everyone in medicine. Many of the dual physician families can make over 500k easy.

You’re making quiet a few assumptions. The doctors we know typically either have SAHM as wives (this is most common in our current practice group), or married another doctor and they hire out tons of help, a few have spouses who work outside of medicine of course. It goes without saying it’s very hard to be a surgeon or specialist making the big bucks and contribute to your family at home.

I'm the lawyer PP. Agreed on the assumptions here. I know probably know 10 physicians off-hand and only one is married to another physician. Small % are married to other professionals like JDs or MBAs. A much larger proportion are married to folks with good, but not outstanding jobs (think teacher, operations, politics). So I don't doubt you, just saying your sample size may be skewed.

Someone said it pages back and I think it's true. At this point, it's clear that the high salaries only go to a fraction of JD and MBAs and they don't always sustain those super high salaries for more than 5-10 years post school. (Basically, once you leave BigLaw, MBB, iBanking, PE/HF.) People know that and at least attempt to communicate that to kids and college students to make informed choices.

I'm not sure that same message gets to aspiring doctors. I think everyone (me included until 5ish years ago), equates physician = very highly paid professional. In law school I figured out that some specialties pay less (psych, family, peds, internal), some paid crazy well but were very stressful (ortho, surgery, neuro), but now that I see my friends going through it and the material tradeoffs they're continuing to make, I would at least know to prepare my own children for is ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a quip about lawyers a few pages back, and being that I am one, I do feel the need to highlight that many people don’t even get to BigLaw and if they do, they don’t last long. BigLaw is generally reserved for graduates from top schools and the valedictorian of lower ranked schools. I was shocked when a friend from UVA Law told me she had multiple unemployed classmates.

I lasted in BigLaw for 6 years after graduating from HYS - well past the typical stint of 2-3 years. I paid back my loans, bought a house and furnished it, and piled up savings. I knew going in those would be my highest earning years. Now I make $200k in house and here’s the thing - I still work hard. The law isn’t an easy job.

I used to think doctors just had it made. $300k+ guaranteed for life! Now I see all the trade offs. Not making any real money until you are 30-35. Facing down $300k in loans at that point. Maybe moving to an undesirable suburban or rural location because they’ll pay you more and hey, maybe that’s a temporary sacrifice worth making. Challenges with making partner etc. Some specialties are better than others (Derm, ortho, surgery), but it’s not like everyone gets those.

I guess it just seems to me like no one has much of guarantee anymore, though doctors have it better than others. I look at my MD/JD/MBA friends and at 35, I can’t tell you that one path was necessarily more financially lucrative than the other. if anything the biz and legal folks had time to pay down loans before having kids and buying houses. The docs will have to tackle both sinualtenously. Maybe at 45 they’ll pull ahead? And even that probably depends heavily on the specialty and location.

I see where you are coming from but it completely depends on your speciality. I agree with you if you are talking peds but most doctors marry other doctors and most doctors now are specialized. The worst part is the training but if you are looking to specialize the average salary is above 250k and you make that money for the rest of your life. The problem is that medicine is stressful and leads to burn out but I wouldn’t feel bad for everyone in medicine. Many of the dual physician families can make over 500k easy.

This is my cousin. He married a peer he met in med school. They are both picking high income specialties: Him: Orthopedics Her: Anesthesiology. And their combined student loan debt is,.....$500,000k. I think they plan to live frugally for about five years and kick out the debt. The whole field must be a labor of Love, because Good Lord, it has involved much sacrifice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean are there tons of people who WANT to dedicate the next 40 yrs of their lives to ear infections and having to make small talk with 4 year olds??

Pediatrics is very rewarding. Before working in primary care, I worked in the pediatric ICU. You wouldn't believe how many kids are there for preventable reasons. It all comes back to primary care.

Unfortunately capitalism doesn't reward preventative care. Pediatricians can prevent many chronic diseases and ensure that kids enter adulthood healthy but healthy doesn't make the health care system money. Healthy doesn't lead to more surgeries and expensive hospital stays. We have our priorities all wrong.

When I lived abroad, you had nurse midwives for labor and delivery, also for check ups
Visits to a nurse for shots

I do not need a person with the background of a pediatrician to read a chart and tell me my baby is not obese

Any Dr can help a young kid with a cough or an ear infections
Pediatrician is for more baby, young child related issues. Like if your really was special needs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a quip about lawyers a few pages back, and being that I am one, I do feel the need to highlight that many people don’t even get to BigLaw and if they do, they don’t last long. BigLaw is generally reserved for graduates from top schools and the valedictorian of lower ranked schools. I was shocked when a friend from UVA Law told me she had multiple unemployed classmates.

I lasted in BigLaw for 6 years after graduating from HYS - well past the typical stint of 2-3 years. I paid back my loans, bought a house and furnished it, and piled up savings. I knew going in those would be my highest earning years. Now I make $200k in house and here’s the thing - I still work hard. The law isn’t an easy job.

I used to think doctors just had it made. $300k+ guaranteed for life! Now I see all the trade offs. Not making any real money until you are 30-35. Facing down $300k in loans at that point. Maybe moving to an undesirable suburban or rural location because they’ll pay you more and hey, maybe that’s a temporary sacrifice worth making. Challenges with making partner etc. Some specialties are better than others (Derm, ortho, surgery), but it’s not like everyone gets those.

I guess it just seems to me like no one has much of guarantee anymore, though doctors have it better than others. I look at my MD/JD/MBA friends and at 35, I can’t tell you that one path was necessarily more financially lucrative than the other. if anything the biz and legal folks had time to pay down loans before having kids and buying houses. The docs will have to tackle both sinualtenously. Maybe at 45 they’ll pull ahead? And even that probably depends heavily on the specialty and location.

I see where you are coming from but it completely depends on your speciality. I agree with you if you are talking peds but most doctors marry other doctors and most doctors now are specialized. The worst part is the training but if you are looking to specialize the average salary is above 250k and you make that money for the rest of your life. The problem is that medicine is stressful and leads to burn out but I wouldn’t feel bad for everyone in medicine. Many of the dual physician families can make over 500k easy.

This is my cousin. He married a peer he met in med school. They are both picking high income specialties: Him: Orthopedics Her: Anesthesiology. And their combined student loan debt is,.....$500,000k. I think they plan to live frugally for about five years and kick out the debt. The whole field must be a labor of Love, because Good Lord, it has involved much sacrifice.

I have many Indian friends and they tend to to this quite a bit. Pick the highest paying speciality form themselves and then hunt for a spouse with the same target. Seen it many,many times...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need more psychiatrists around here who focus on adolescents!

This is what I do!

I tell many of my med students to consider psychiatry. It’s interesting, it’s in high demand nearly everywhere, easy to work any number of hours depending on how much money you want to make, and there are multiple different avenues you can take with it depending on what interests you. It’s also, I believe, one of the few professions that improves your relationships with other people.

And I am paid just fine.

[Anonymous]

You are all missing a basic financial tipping point: do you own your practice or not?

That’s the huge hike in salary for many, many practices.

Do you own the pediatric practice or do you work there?
Do you own your anesthesiology practice and hire doctors to contract out to hospital or are you a contractor?
Are you the owner of that orthopedic company with 5 locations and an ortho urgent care or are you doing total knee replacements all day?

Huge huge differences.

[Anonymous]

My husband is a physician and I think going into it for the money is a terrible idea. He’s paid well but I make low 200s in a corporate job and prob make more an hour. It’s very stressful. Moments that are very emotionally rewarding but just as many that are difficult. You have to love it or at least really like it not to be miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anesthesiologist first the Navy. $120,000 but good hours, 1 month vacation, and 50% of it yearly as a pension for life after 20 years. Surprisingly many get out, work in civilian hospitals and hate it, then come back to the Navy as a contractor because it’s less stressful-no push for getting x surgeries/procedures done per day.

[Anonymous]

*for

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anesthesiologist first the Navy. $120,000 but good hours, 1 month vacation, and 50% of it yearly as a pension for life after 20 years. Surprisingly many get out, work in civilian hospitals and hate it, then come back to the Navy as a contractor because it’s less stressful-no push for getting x surgeries/procedures done per day.

yup...keep pushing for unnecessary procedures and surgeries.....milk the compromised patient and insurance companies to line the pockets of greedy physicians who feel entitled to earn 10X more than teachers, soldiers, etc. Before you bash me, I'm neither a teacher, physician, social worker, or someone who has been screwed over by the medical community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anesthesiologist first the Navy. $120,000 but good hours, 1 month vacation, and 50% of it yearly as a pension for life after 20 years. Surprisingly many get out, work in civilian hospitals and hate it, then come back to the Navy as a contractor because it’s less stressful-no push for getting x surgeries/procedures done per day.

yup...keep pushing for unnecessary procedures and surgeries.....milk the compromised patient and insurance companies to line the pockets of greedy physicians who feel entitled to earn 10X more than teachers, soldiers, etc. Before you bash me, I'm neither a teacher, physician, social worker, or someone who has been screwed over by the medical community.

Are you not taking your retention or specialty bonuses? I'm former military physician and this is pretty much base pay and housing right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anesthesiologist first the Navy. $120,000 but good hours, 1 month vacation, and 50% of it yearly as a pension for life after 20 years. Surprisingly many get out, work in civilian hospitals and hate it, then come back to the Navy as a contractor because it’s less stressful-no push for getting x surgeries/procedures done per day.

yup...keep pushing for unnecessary procedures and surgeries.....milk the compromised patient and insurance companies to line the pockets of greedy physicians who feel entitled to earn 10X more than teachers, soldiers, etc. Before you bash me, I'm neither a teacher, physician, social worker, or someone who has been screwed over by the medical community.

I don’t understand how people can have this attitude AND complain about how long it takes to get into do an elective surgery or get an appointment with a specialist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need more psychiatrists around here who focus on adolescents!

This is what I do!

I tell many of my med students to consider psychiatry. It’s interesting, it’s in high demand nearly everywhere, easy to work any number of hours depending on how much money you want to make, and there are multiple different avenues you can take with it depending on what interests you. It’s also, I believe, one of the few professions that improves your relationships with other people.

And I am paid just fine.

Any downsides? Considering this field.