How many hours per week does an Emergency Medicine Physician work? What are the pros and cons?

Question

And how is the lifestyle for emergency medicine doctors?

Answer 1

Lifestyle is pretty good if you don't mind nights and weekends. In our ER, docs work fourteen 12 hour shifts each month. That means that 16 days each month, they don't work. :) Pay is usually based per shift, so the more you work, the more you make. You get paid more for night shifts as well.

Pros: NO CALL. Ever. Good money (although most docs make good money regardless of specialty).

Cons: All-night shifts. Drunks, psychotics, and narcotic seekers.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Emergency Medicine Hours

Answer 4

Depends where you work. The shifts really depend on place to place. However, at the hospitals I worked at they worked 9-12 hour shifts 4-5 days per week. The pay depends on what kinds of patients you see and how you get paid. Some places are salaried. Others are from the patients, and then it depends on how insured they are. At one hospital the doctors all made $250k+, but I think that is on the upper end. The average on student doc's website was $197k. Look at the two websites attached for more details.

Answer 5

Most guys I know work 14-18 twelve-hour shifts a month, but shorter shifts are gaining. That would be pretty nice with any consistency, but most have to switch back and forth between day and night shifts during the month, and that takes a toll. Having substantial days off without call is a distinct plus compared to other specialties, but their offices close on holidays, and emergency physicians just have more suicide attempts, drunks, and accident victims than usual on Christmas. Other than that, it's just another day. If your hospital is fat with staffing, it's great to take time off, but if you're thin, the shifts all have to be covered, even if you're sicker than the patients you see. And nobody's going to be grateful for your sacrifices. It's also fun to treat all comers, especially the ones who are threatening to kill and/or sue you before they even get in the door.