private practice vs. hospital?

Question

why do some doctors work in a hospital, while others work in their own practice? Do they do anything different? different working hours? Is one less bloodier?

Answer 1

There are numerous reasons to choose one over the other.

Many doctors don't have training in how to run a business, and operating your own practice means paying employees, ordering supplies, hiring/firing, your own coding (for payment for services) - skills many of us don't have and don't want to take time to develop. However, it frequently offers greater freedom and independence. The workload may be less, the same, or different depending on how much work the physician wants to do.

Doctors can also belong to a group practice, where they again work as an outpatient physician but the group is owned and managed by the hospital or the doctors themselves, usually with a group manager, a fixed salary, etc.

Doctors may also work directly for a hospital and a purely inpatient physician - this usually provides a steady salary (with bonuses for extra work). They usually have overnight call responsibilities.

There is a huge difference between caring for patients in the hospital and those in an outpatient clinic. Patients in the hospital are sick, and require more frequent observation - whereas patients in a clinic are usually being seen for routine visits, check-ups, management of long-standing and stable medical conditions, etc.

Answer 2

Private Practice Vs Hospital

Answer 3

There are HUGE differences!

The prime one is that a doctor working in a hospital, whether state or federal is not required to carry malpractice insurance, that is carried by the hospital organization.

A doctor working in a private practice IS required to carry malpractice insurance, and it is extremely expensive nowadays.

A private practice can set its own working hours, individual hospital employees do not. A private doctor can choose to be on call or not, most hospital doctors must rotate on-call schedules.

A hospital generally will be bloodier, since that's where people go for emergencies. Private practices can choose to not ever engage in any type of surgery or bloodwork, depending on the type of medical assistance they provide.

A private practice is also run as a business, and as such must generate profit to remain open, which is why many are outside federal and state health coverage plans. Hospitals and state clinics get government funding, in addition to private funding, so they're more able to take care of a wide range of patient issues, and most are within programs like Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

There are many more differences between the two types of practice, such as being your own boss or an employee, job satisfaction, job security, etc. But in the end, its a personal preference after weighting the pros and cons of each.

Answer 4

Doctors have to have privileges to practice at a hospital. Most doctors are in private practice but must perform certain procedures in a hospital or admit a patient for care in a hospital. Some doctors are employed by the hopital or are contracted to the hospital to be on site, as in ER, Radiologist, on call specialists. Doctors in private practice in a specialty that deals mainly with diagnosing and treating chronic medical problems, where an on-site doctor deals with the diagnosis and treating of acute medical problems. Orthopedic, Obstetrics, etc. take call at the hospital they practice at, to cover the ER patients who need their consultation. Nurses and other medical personnel keep a hospital open by caring for the patients of the doctors and a place to practice in.

Answer 5

No, No difference at all