<p>I'm very certain that I want to enter into the medical field. I've shadowed a few doctors (one for a day (dentist), another for one week (internist)) and I really enjoyed that experience. While I like both dentistry and traditional medicine, I think that I am leaning more toward going for MD. Currently, I like the areas of radiology, urology and cardiology but I understand that it may change during rotations.
My question is this, if I were to have my own practice, how much would I have to work per week and/or be on call? Could I not work on Sundays? What about clinical settings. To me a schedule like
M-Th 7a-7p, (office hours 8a-6p) F-S 8a-6p, (office hours 9a-5p) sounds very nice and reasonable.
Is that possible or even feasible? Do most doctors have to work longer hours?</p>
<p>(Unfortunately, I have moved and I am no longer in contact with the previously mentioned doctors. I am a senior in HS and will be attending Rice in the fall, accepted!)</p>
<p>I'd be okay with both. I mean of course it would be a plus to see my kids soccer game but I dont think that I would regret not being there. Surely I'd be able to be there sometime or maybe watch it with him on tv. But if that's all of course</p>
<p>Above, that is 68 hours a week working, I've read/heard the avg is 55-60 but I want human answers.</p>
<p>That might work in urology. Most of the radiologists I know are affiliated with major medical centers, so I don't know much about office practice. It doesn't work at all in cardiology, since emergency situations crop up often.</p>
<p>My father's a cardiologist. I was the kid whose stuff he missed. He did an admirable job being there as much as he could, but it wasn't very much. Now as a medical student, I can tell you that he did a much better job than most.</p>
<p>what about an interventional cardiologist or one who doesnt perform major surgeries? Also, I've heard that eventually, traditional radiologist jobs will be outsourced to other countries to be done electronically leaving only interventional radiologists. Is this true?</p>
<p>Interventionals are precisely the kind who have the most emergencies -- angioplasties at 3 AM, etc. And it wouldn't surprise me if rads got outsourced, but of course that can't happen completely.</p>
<p>well, I dont really mind having to do procedures in the early hours like that but not every day like an OB might do. What would be a job in medicine that doesnt necessarily have few hours but also doesnt have A LOT of emergencies. I could deal with that maybe twice a week at most. I think urology would probably be best but can anyone offer any other suggestions? I guess that I'll figure out what I'd really like to do during rotations but it would be nice too look at some other areas now.</p>
<p>The so-called "lifestyle specialties" are often referred to as the ROAD to success: radiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology, dermatology. Of course, that also means that these are among the toughest specialties to match into, and there's no guarantee that you'll be able to specialize in these, no matter what your intentions.</p>
<p>I definitely know of ER docs who have to take call. I suppose it might be dependent on the hospital you're at, though. If you're in a small hospital in a rural area, you can't really expect that you wont be called in some of the time.</p>
<p>Yeah I knew about the ROAD but the only one that actually interested me was Radiology but then I'd fear having my job be useless if they can one day outsource it at a cheaper cost. Also, I did not know that anesthesiology provided "a lifestyle" because I would assume that one would have to rush to the hospital for the emergencies or are they on "schedules"? I still think that it's not really for me though but it could be interesting. People think that it's weird that I am considering urology but I actually think that the job would be very interesting and it would allow me to one day own my own practice. I really like the idea of working for myself and I also can't imagine someone having an emergency with something down there although I'm sure it happens. And as I have said, I wouldnt have a problem being on call a few days a week, just not everyday.</p>
<p>No one is on call everyday. If you join a group practice, that'll dramatically reduce your call schedule (one of the reasons people join group practices). Outside of a few specialties (like plastics), it's actually not very common for doctors to be in solo practices.</p>
<p>1) Intervential Radiologists are on call more than Ob docs and some ARE on call every day as it is a very specialized field.</p>
<p>2) In any field, you will have to work or take call on Sundays, Christmas and other holidays.</p>
<p>3) By the time you are done, a "private practice doc" will probably be something of historical interest. Large groups will be in because of lifestyle wants and insurance and government</p>
<p>Any career in medicine will take some serious commitment. My father is a urologist and although he is a good father, my mother raised us from the time I was 3 till I was 7/8, since my father was doing his residency then. My father had 72 hour shifts. Rules may have gotten more stringent since this was in the mid-nineties, but the life of a young doctor (one right out of med school) is tough. However, in hs, my father was present much more of the time and usually got home by 6.30, if not earlier!</p>
<p>I agree that solo practice or private practice is on the way out but wouldn't worry about Radiology disappearing. Hospitals that outsource films do so because they have inadequate coverage.</p>