Academic Draw?

[FrkyBgStok]

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I am finishing up residency in a community program and heading to fellowship in an academic program. I just have to ask. Is there a draw to academic medicine from a financial standpoint that I am missing? Obviously if your true desire is the research, academic life, I understand that, but when I talk to my attendings coming from academic jobs, they were making often half of what they make in the community centers.

What gives?

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I am finishing up residency in a community program and heading to fellowship in an academic program. I just have to ask. Is there a draw to academic medicine from a financial standpoint that I am missing? Obviously if your true desire is the research, academic life, I understand that, but when I talk to my attendings coming from academic jobs, they were making often half of what they make in the community centers.

What gives?

Usually flexibility without demand for RVU productivity.

It’s far less kill what you eat in academics. That of course leads to lower pay (which is also coupled to more complex patients with lower reimbursement). But for some (nay most), money is less important than time. You can always spend more time to get money, but you can never spend more money to get time.

Of course, some people like teaching, research, etc... for me, I wouldn't get to do research nor get to spend as much time with my kids and family. But from a strictly financial standpoint... that's it.

 

[Stitch]

I'm not big into traditional research, but I love QI and those sorts of hospital processes. I also really enjoy working with residents and medical students as well as being around other colleagues who are in a teaching environment. And on top of that, as SurfingDoc says, time. My lifestyle is great and that's super important to me.

 

[mvenus929]

There’s also the tertiary care aspect to things. I have a niche interest in my subspecialty, and in order to truly see enough of those patients consistently to become an expert, I essentially have to be at an academic center.

 

[BigRedBeta]

Prestige

There are a number of people out there who have been chasing prestige their entire lives (just look at the Premed forum on SDN) - from private HS (or even before then) to Ivy League Undergrads to Top 30 Med Schools and extending on through residency and fellowships. A significant portion of their self worth then gets tied up into the institution listed on their white coat