<p>Which specialties would generally require no more than 60 hours a week, with fairly well-set hours--i.e., rarely or never on-call, knowing your schedule week(s) in advance? I know that pathology is one such specialty (excepting maybe forensic), but I'm wondering if there is any specialty allowing this lifestyle while maintaining hands-on patient experience. The emerging 'hospitalists' occupation seems to fit the bill, though perhaps the hours are more than 60hrs/wk.</p>
<p>Radiology. Anesthesiology, as well, particularly in the rural areas. With radiology you can practically work at home - anywhere you can access a computer, even on vacation.</p>
<p>Rural anesthesia…no. There are traumas, there are testicular or ovarian torsions, and plenty of other emergency surgeries that require timely and urgent surgical intervention. Someone must be on call.</p>
<p>Depending on the group practice you join, general internal medicine or pediatrics are options. Certainly dermatology and rheumatology are low emergency fields. </p>
<p>Doing Emergency Medicine, either peds or adult, is much more often shift work and will consist of 3-5 shifts per week. Depending on the hospital, these shifts may be 8, 10 or 12 hour shifts. The schedule will be well known weeks ahead, and once you leave the hospital, you’ve left. Most of the ER attendings I know, don’t even wear pagers. Of course, you will have to take your share of late night shifts. </p>
<p>And it’s absolutely imperative to realize that no matter what you do (including path, radiology, derm, ophtho…), your residency will require you to work long hours. That’s just the way it is and there is ZERO way to get around it. </p>
<p>If you don’t want to work long hours, become a nurse. Usually nothing by three 12-hour shifts a week.</p>
<p>You are on call but it’s not common for you to have to rush into the hospital, there are others for that. I shadowed an anesthesiologist at a rural hospital and this is what he told me. My father is a surgeon and must deal with anesthesiologists, and this is what he said as well. You pretty much know all your hours and it is pretty set.</p>
<p>Unless you have a large enough groups of CRNA’s, rural anesthesiologists will need to be there. Promise, I can easily counter your anecdotal evidence with firsthand experience of my own…</p>
<p>Rural areas usually always have plenty of CRNA’s. And okay. But I would say for the most part this is true; however I don’t know what the ratio would be.</p>
<p>It seems like EM or becoming a hospitalist would be your best bet. Other options could include PM&R or pathology. I heard beast surgeons tend to have predictable hours. They may have 2-3 offices days and maybe 2-3 surgery days, but I don’t have first hand experience. </p>
<p>Anesthesiologist still have to be on call, whether it only be once a month or whatever. With the thread moving towards physician only practices or hiring more AA’s over CRNA’s to stop/slow down the encroachment of those nurses and limiting their scope of practice (such as peds and pain cases)…the workload for anesthesiologist will most likely increase. Becoming a locum tenen anesthesiologist would work best for what you want, but most only do this for a year or 2 and then head to either private practice or academics.</p>
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<p>Most follow the ACT model of 1:4. But it depends on the comfort level of the anesthesiologist…some may want 2 or 3.</p>