IM-CCM Burnout/Job opportunity questions

[kellen914]

DISCLAIMER: I bolded what I would consider the nuts/bolts of my question, if you feel inclined to add your two cents but dont want to read a long thread haha.

Hello, I am a PGY1 IM intern thinking about IM-CCM. I originally was considering CCM-Pulm, but every time I do any form of outpatient activity, I want back in the hospital. I see people talking about the "need for critical care" in a wide variety of threads, some dating back to 2003. And I commonly see the advice of "get pulm for when you burn out"... which Id consider, but I would want to be strictly CCM (7 on 7 off type of gig) for a while right out the gate, which doesnt seem very plausible. So without further adieu...

Question 1. To you CCM only guys, what do you do to avoid burnout? Have any of you prepared a burnout back up (say, outpatient IM or hospitalist) or are you not concerned with it? What quality/approach do you possess that makes you resistant to burn out in this field?

Question 2. How is the job market? Did you actively seek jobs/did they come to you/Did you struggle to find work in an area of your choosing? Are certain regions of the country more amendable to CCM-IM physicians? My fiance plans on specializing, and is also in the Military, so me having the flexibility to find a job in multiple locations would be great.


PS i apologize that my "2" questions were multi-faceted. Thanks guys!

X-D

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[Hernandez]

Why ain't 7/7 plausible? There are tons of jobs looking for just that v

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I do pediatric critical care and so I won't speak to the job opportunities, but I do know that in pediatric critical care, there are quite a bit of private practice groups that have the 7/7 on/off model.

Speaking to burnout, there are 2 answers. 1) I think there are some people who are more susceptible to burnout then others. There are a people who take every patient outcome, or intense situation, or interaction with a difficult person very personally and there are those who don't. Those who don't are able to avoid burnout more then those who do. Also, when one's shift ends, the work ends. People who tend to take home their work, emotionally or physically, tend to burnout more. Long story short, some physician burnout is inherent and related to one's personality. There's nothing that can be done about that, but there are ways to avoid it or lessen it, which gets to answer 2) Those who have non-patient related activities reduce their chance of burnout. If it is integrated into your general work responsibilities, all the better. I do research, some do teaching, some do administration, some do QI. All of these allow you to get paid without having direct patient are, and if you really enjoy them, can be incredibly fun and rewarding. If you are in a private practice and don't need a scholarly project, find hobbies that get you out of the house and that you are passionate about. In general, the more you try to forget about work if you feel distressed about it, the less burnout. If you can't separate from a job, you will get burnout. If you can, you will be fine.

 

[europeman]

I think "burnout" is code word for depression. More than just your speciality.....

 

[NRAI2001]

For those who work the 7 on and 7 off schedules.. What is the compensation like?

Most hospitalists working that schedule make about $250-$300k range.. is CC in that range?