Return to academics after a few years in community?

[inspirationmd]

I always thought I would stay in academia but as of late I find myself heading towards taking a break from the academic environment. After 6 years of residency and fellowship and everything else I have been doing, I kind of want to try showing up, working my shift, and going home for a bit.

My question:
Is it hard to come back and be academic EM faculty if you practice exclusively in the community for a couple of years? Beyond is it possible but also is it practical?

I have some academic projects that will continue for another 8 months or so and my CV has publications and academic leadership. I just worry about the stigma of leaving academics for full community jobs for a bit.

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[deleted547339]

I always thought I would stay in academia but as of late I find myself heading towards taking a break from the academic environment. After 6 years of residency and fellowship and everything else I have been doing, I kind of want to try showing up, working my shift, and going home for a bit.

My question:
Is it hard to come back and be academic EM faculty if you practice exclusively in the community for a couple of years? Beyond is it possible but also is it practical?

I have some academic projects that will continue for another 8 months or so and my CV has publications and academic leadership. I just worry about the stigma of leaving academics for full community jobs for a bit.

I have similar questions. How did you end up doing 6 years of training?

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Absolutely. Especially at community residency programs. Many residencies have clinical faculty that just work clinical shifts and dont do the academic stuff. Which is an easy in if you go back, allowing you to come back and work in a residency, and start working on scholarly work to meet core faculty again.

 

[inspirationmd]

I have similar questions. How did you end up doing 6 years of training?

6 year EM/IM/CCM program

 

[tux4]

I have talked to some attendings and they highly recommended this route. It really forces you to know your stuff and get comfortable with doing things you would just consult out at other places.


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[gamerEMdoc]

Yeah i was out for four years without residents after residency before going to work in a program. Spent one year as clinical faculty, then joined core faculty the following year.

 

[deleted109597]

I have talked to some attendings and they highly recommended this route. It really forces you to know your stuff and get comfortable with doing things you would just consult out at other places.


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One of my life goals is to make the RRC require non-resident shifts for attendings. If you can't hack it on your own, you shouldn't be teaching. Full stop.

 

[carbonizedeyesockets]

There are faculty at my program that came back to academics after working for years in the community (one spent something like 3 decades in a purely community setting before going in to academics). It's certainly doable.

I definitely agree that academic attendings should have some shifts without residents (preferably at a community site with few specialties in house).

 

[bravotwozero]

One of my life goals is to make the RRC require non-resident shifts for attendings. If you can't hack it on your own, you shouldn't be teaching. Full stop.

Most EM residencies have protected didactic time, where the attendings are working without residents, at least once a week.


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[deleted547339]

Most EM residencies have protected didactic time, where the attendings are working without residents, at least once a week.


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Yea, those 5 hours before in the morning before the department gets busy can really be crushing....

 

[WalkingCorpse]

Most EM residencies have protected didactic time, where the attendings are working without residents, at least once a week.


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Yet we have attendings at our program who refuse to work that shift.


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[bravotwozero]

Yea, those 5 hours before in the morning before the department gets busy can really be crushing....

lol I doubt it's like that in every ED


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[deleted109597]

Most EM residencies have protected didactic time, where the attendings are working without residents, at least once a week.


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Any many get community rotators for that shift.
Listen, I can do anything for 5 hours.

lol I doubt it's like that in every ED


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How many of those working are core faculty instead of just clincial faculty though.

 

[Tenk]

Work full time community and part time academics (like one shift a month or less). Keeps your foot in the door in case you ever want to go back.

 

[filhodeinferno]

Yet we have attendings at our program who refuse to work that shift.


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Same here. As a 3rd year resident going into the community next year, I'm sure there are a handful of attendings I work under that would get fired from my upcoming job after about a month. They don't seem to know how to move people, chart, or do anything an ER doc actually does. They know the medicine, tho.

 

[tarsuc]

Work full time community and part time academics (like one shift a month or less). Keeps your foot in the door in case you ever want to go back.

Forgive my med student ignorance,
Is it easier to shift from academics to community, rather than community to academics?

(is it because in the latter you have to start from the bottom of the hierarchy even after working a decade in community EM? And in the case of the former, your years of experience will be looked into, and compensated appropriately, when you make the switch?)

 

[Tenk]

Forgive my med student ignorance,
Is it easier to shift from academics to community, rather than community to academics?

(is it because in the latter you have to start from the bottom of the hierarchy even after working a decade in community EM? And in the case of the former, your years of experience will be looked into, and compensated appropriately, when you make the switch?)

From a skills standpoint I think it is harder to go from academics (for a long time) to community. In academics, I don't do much, just kind of stand around and make sure residents don't kill people. Pretty much never have to do procedures, just supervise them. One time I walked into a trauma asked my resident if they needed me, they said no, walked out. I would imagine doing that for 10+ years can make you a bit rusty. Especially when you have every service available in-house at your beck and call.

Most people who go community -> academics still have to jump through all the hoops and their years of prior work don't amount to much other than making them more fun to work with for the residents. These attendings will usually be more fearless and less reliant on other services though because they have seen some ****.

 

[tarsuc]

From a skills standpoint I think it is harder to go from academics (for a long time) to community. In academics, I don't do much, just kind of stand around and make sure residents don't kill people. Pretty much never have to do procedures, just supervise them. One time I walked into a trauma asked my resident if they needed me, they said no, walked out. I would imagine doing that for 10+ years can make you a bit rusty. Especially when you have every service available in-house at your beck and call.

Most people who go community -> academics still have to jump through all the hoops and their years of prior work don't amount to much other than making them more fun to work with for the residents. These attendings will usually be more fearless and less reliant on other services though because they have seen some ****.

thanks for the reply. Because of the reason you mentioned, would it be hard to get a good paying job in community, after you decide to make a switch from a decade or more in academics?

 

[Saddleshoes]

I never gave it any thought till just this moment.
While I'm not an EM attending, you nailed it on describing me.

 

[namethatsmell]

thanks for the reply. Because of the reason you mentioned, would it be hard to get a good paying job in community, after you decide to make a switch from a decade or more in academics?

Not if you're in an area where EM docs are in demand...which is most places. Your biggest hurdle would be becoming fast enough and chart well for RVUs if that makes up a big portion of your community salary.

 

[namethatsmell]

Work full time community and part time academics (like one shift a month or less). Keeps your foot in the door in case you ever want to go back.

Agreed. I'm doing a mix of both and it's great.

 

[Tenk]

thanks for the reply. Because of the reason you mentioned, would it be hard to get a good paying job in community, after you decide to make a switch from a decade or more in academics?

No