Ortho Private practice has a better lifestyle than working in a hospital?

[ahk7]

Hey everyone,
I am an M1 interested in orthopedic surgery. However, since I’m a family oriented person I’m afraid that the lifestyle won’t be what I want it to be. I was wondering if working in private practice will lead to a better work/life balance or am I tricking myself? Could I control the days and hours I work?

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[Lem0nz]

Ortho surgery is incredibly demanding in the first 10-20 years after completion of fellowship training and you will work extremely long hours. They probably won't be as bad as residency, but it will certainly still be a lot and in some cases can mirror or eclipse residency as you establish yourself in your new job, get comfortable operating alone, and take on the tasks that an attending previously did for you (office, longitudinal patient management, program building, whatever). The work is generally more engaging and rewarding because they are finally YOUR patients, but it doesn't magically get a ton easier when you become an attending. You should expect minimum 60 hours a week in any surgical field for at least 10 years post training, and quite possibly much longer than that. In some cases it can be 80+ hours a week depending on your practice setting. The ability to control your schedule and hours comes with seniority and time and will, in most cases, take years to establish.