A Job Within a Job: Residency Rotation Director

January 22, 2015Career Development, Education, Getting a JobBrad Sobolewski MD MEd

At the risk of getting analogical, there are many hats in the haberdashery of a Clinical Educator. Many institutions specify that faculty do more than provide clinical care. Though the classic triple threat triumvirate of clinical, research, and education serve as guideposts for how we should spend our time it is important to recognize that within these categories there are quite a few roles and positions that faculty can choose to occupy. One of those roles is the residency rotation director. Near the end of my first year as a faculty physician I assumed this role within the Division of Emergency Read more [...]

Doctor Cents: You mean someday I’ll make more than peanuts per hour?

January 16, 2015News, Uncategorizedfinances Brian Wagers

This is the first in a series of blog posts on preparing a solid financial future for PEM fellows and newly minted PEM attendings. These blog posts are not the “be all end all” voice on all things financial for those in medicine. Instead they are aimed at engaging you to learn more and give you some useful tidbits along the way. For the first post, speaking of foundational things is appropriate. For this, I share with you a truism that shared with soon to be medical graduates: “live your first few years as an attending like you were still a fellow.” What does this mean? Does it mean Read more [...]

The Price of Being a Doctor

January 8, 2015Applicant's Corner, Career Development, Patient Care, Quality Improvement, Research, UncategorizedAmeer Hassoun

Eighteen years ago I had a discussion with a practicing gynecologist in Auckland, New Zealand about my future studies and the best career choice to "secure" my future. I had multiple options at that time in different countries. The options were medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and engineering. I also had a shot in getting into biomedical science and getting involved in research. His reply was "less than 2% of doctors live an uncomfortable life in any country in the world." Despite my skepticism in that statistic, his statement strongly influenced my decision to choose medicine. Today, as a Read more [...]

Catch 22- residents are here to WORK… … residents are here to LEARN

December 14, 2014Education, News, Patient Care, ResearchMarc Auerbach

In a prior blog post I commented on the exploding costs of graduate medical education to $15 billion dollars! This post highlighted a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences- Graduate Medical Education that Meets the Nation’s Health Needs proposing changes in the model of how GME is funded with a shift toward performance based GME payment. If we are going to "pay-for-performance" in academic medical centers we need more research on the impact of trainees on cost, quality and other elements of care. THE CATCH 22: Residents are here to WORK ("cheap labor")-- however residents Read more [...]

25% Leave Academic Medicine Jobs Annually and other job interview small talk

December 14, 2014Career Development, Getting a JobSonny Tat

The winter. For many, it’s a season for sipping eggnog, embarrassing sweaters in public, and forced family interactions. For senior PEM fellows, it’s also a time for dry-cleaning their suits, drafting yet another personal statement, and considering their next life transitions. It’s a familiar cycle, one that they have faced every few years since graduating from college. Despite the extensive experience, it never becomes easy. But this time is different, isn’t it? After fellowship, there are no more long training programs to apply for (right?). This time next year, they will be settled Read more [...]

Guest Blogpost: Dr. Donna Eckardt, MD

December 6, 2014Career Development, Getting a Jobcareer, interviewTodd P Chang

While you are immersed in your pediatric emergency medicine fellowship training, have you ever wondered about life outside academia? While the majority of pediatric emergency medical care is delivered in community hospitals and other settings, large academic children’s hospitals dominate the publicity machine. Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowships graduate 105 fellows a year and 85% of them go on to practice in free-standing pediatric hospitals which are associated with academic centers. They believe that is where they will find fulfillment: they will care for the most complex cases, Read more [...]

Wake Up America! We Are Physicians Not Magicians!

December 2, 2014Patient Care, Quality Improvement, Uncategorizedclinical care, legal, patient autonomy, patient satisfactionAmeer Hassoun

On a cold Midwest winter night, EMS brought a child who complained of itching and rash, which prompted the mother to call 911. The child reached our emergency department at 3 AM and the child was placed in a room. I told myself this is going be a quick case, let me not bother a resident with it. I entered the room, and after greetings and short history, I realized that the patient's rash and itching disappeared without intervention prior to arrival. I explained that it could be a reaction to something, but I wouldn't be able to diagnose it for sure, since I see no rash. The mother was not Read more [...]