Monday, March 18, 2013

Changes in Physician Employment Trends

By Amy Cline


The new trend in physician employment seems to be choosing Emergency Medicine instead of a primary care specialty. There are a number of variables that have lead to this increase as noted below by some of the top physician recruitment firms in the country.

One of the biggest determining factors for physicians when looking for employment is quality of life. Many physicians feel that Emergency Medicine jobs offer the luxury of having a professional life as well as a personal life. Trading in the pagers and cell phones that beckon physicians at all hours of the day and night for a set schedule in the Emergency room is an attractive factor for today's new residents.

It has been proven that ER doctors work fewer hours than any other specialty in the medical field today. This was recently noted in the 2008 report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Primary care physician can be required to work day and night taking them away from their family time.

The need for set schedules and a balanced work life balance can be contributed to the growing number of women physicians going into practice today versus 40 years ago. Many female residents have young children or start their families while in residency, thus making the consistency of emergency medicine shifts an ideal alternative to them.

Intrigued by the fast pace and complex mysteries that are presented in the emergency department, many physicians find that the excitement of bringing a fast solution to their patients is an appealing choice. The alternative choice could mean being faced with the long term care of diabetes and chronic illnesses, a choice that does not offer a wide range of diversity.

Physician recruiters are seeing young doctors accept physician jobs in hospitals, forcing many independently owned practices to close. Recruiting firms have confirmed that 51% of positions filled in the past year were for hospital placements, a dramatic rise from the 14% eight years ago.

Private practice is less appealing to a young physician in today's fast paced society. Choosing Emergency Medicine and hospital employment is a seamless transition avoiding the costs and stressors of private practice. Subsequently, primary care physicians are trading in the keys to their private practice leaving behind the stress of administration, physician recruitment, reimbursement hassles, rising malpractice costs and general liability risks for life in the ER.

In today's uncertain economy, hospital-based employment offers stability to young physicians that are entering the job market under mounds of student loans and education debt. Emergency medicine offers financial stability and quality of life.




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