Any medical-field related owners out here?

Income figures are all over the map depending on where & how you practice, but average seems to be $300-400K for an established practice. I respectfully disagree with garysp7 about the single vs. dual degree issue - it's somewhat debatable. I am single degree, fellowship trained, experienced and published in trauma. None of my facial reconstruction patients have ever asked about my degree and my credentials have never been restricted based on single vs dual-degree status.

Of course in the military the salary is less than average, but I am truly honored to serve my country and love what I do.

 

Thanks for doing it too, Shan. Glad you are well. I hear thru the SA mafia you are OK. We still need to get together. The rest of the guys here like restaurants that are waaaay to dumpy for me

 

Shan: I was only passing along a quote that an Oral surgeon friend of mine told me once. He had not done the dual degree and wished that he had. That was in the North Shore of Chicago. A very competitive area and it was also ten years ago.
Now down here in Florida. my oral surgeon has a dual degree and he is merketing alot to do Botox and facial cosmetic. How much he is doing I am not sure. Personally, if I were looking to have that work done on myself I would be only considering a board certified plastic surgeon. Therefore, I am not sure if the dueal degree is really worth the extra effort.
I agree with you assessment of salaries. I knew O. S. who grossed about 200K in the Chicago area and that was good for there. Down here a good G.P. grosses around 300 to 600 and O.S about 400 to 800. Its all demographics and having the available patients.

 

Every doc on this list should join AAPS (and mention in your will) and you can do so by:
www.aaps.org

Any kid looking at medicine in USA long term should read this too.

Medicine being ruined by non-docs, nurses, politicians, hosp administrators, lawyers, insurance companies, major TV media bias, even C-SPAN bias by Brian Lamb!

"cookie cutter medicine" will be the norm before too long...
Soon, the USA Radiologist film readings can be read in India or Bangladesh ("The World is Flat" book by NY Times guy Friedman)

Neuro docs in rural Midwest USA make about $120K a yr gross, taxes and expenses subtract from that..
$27 K a yr malpractice ..even if U haven't ever been sued in 18 yrs...like "mob protection money"..hahaha

Go to "Lawyer/computer tech " schooling to cover your bases....or...
be a chiropractor or a vet..patients/families pay CASH for those services, not screaming at your face about a pittance $10 co-pay

I got 4 cars..Alfa, 2 cheap or used MBZ, one JEEP....single, no rich wife or costly kids..just 3 dogs..I thought about selling 3 cars to buy cremepuff/used 02 Maser Spyder GT ...maybe I will someday..

cheers,
PDD

PS USA Medicine is being emasculated..it will soon be a "girly Man specialty", thanks to the AMA and other Natl (Socialist) doc organizations who helped the pols stab us in the back!

 

I consider myself lucky too. I (usually) love what I do. ER docs make pretty good money, but the stale cheap wine breath I get to breath while sewing up another beat up drunk's face at 3am, or the demanding McDonalds have it your way attitude of "what.... you're not ordering an MRI tonight?!?!?" does get old. But, everyone has something that aint so great about their job, and in the end, I get to make a difference each day/night at work, whether the patients/family knows it.
One of my partners and I joke about going to Radiology night school!

 

sorta off topic here, - I know that this was just about doctors....but I am 35 and got into real estate (rental properties) 7 years ago and just built our portfolio every year. Started with a 4 family, and now we own 16 properties close to my house, and I am buying and selling waterfront lots, and building houses in Florida. It is also fact that 90% of all millionaires made their money in Real Estate... Yeah, In know all about the bubble that is supposed to pop... You just gotta invest in the right locations and pull out on time... Also, with real estate you do not get rich overnight (contrary to what the great seminar / snake oil salesmen Carleton Sheets, et al) tell you! The tax write offs are awesome too in RE - what other industry lets you depreciate an APPreciating asset?

BTW, I am looking to buy a F355 in the early spring or sooner if I find what I am looking for (98-99) red/tan 6 speed.

The good thing is to do something you LOVE to do and remember that the bottom line is that people will always need a place to call home and people will always get sick at some point! Everytime I have to see a doctor, I feel that they should all get $500k+ for what they do and the miracles they can perform for you!
Good luck and thanks for all you great docs out there!

 

If so, please PM me. I have a question for you.

 

SPOOK, I believe I said that in the spectrum of things, the average doc should earn more than the average plumber. Also more than the average architect. I stand by that. If anything, I have never portrayed docs as "nobly" being ben caseys...have you read my threads???

Actually, I would have likely enjoyed being an architect...who knows.

 

Spike. I have nothing but respect for you guys. I am jealous of you in that I do not have the constitution to be able to do what you do.

Frankly I'm surprised that you guys don't go postal. I know I'd be in jail for "*****-slapping" some of the stupidity you deal with. It's a shame you cannot repeal voter registration cards.

 

Bo...In our original discussion on this question, you said that doctors should earn more than architects because doctors are actively engaged in life and death matters, architects aren't...hence the Ben Casey comment. OK...that's your standing opinion, and I consider it a bit arrogant.

I'll just field a point or two and I've had my say, no hard feelings on my end.

-In an event we can all relate to, the 9-11-01 attacks, consider how the WTC buildings collapsed, consider the number of people who escaped before this happened, and try to imagine what would have happened if the buildings had collapsed horizontally from their bases rather than vertically onto their foundations. Now, consider the masterminding behind the design and construction features that kept loss of life to a minimum even in such an unimaginable disaster. If you say engineers were solely responsible, I'll say you're wrong, because the architect of record is ultimately responsible for the work of all other professionals on any commercial or residential building project for which his/her architectural services are engaged, whether these services are required by law and or not. The architect executes the conceptual and detailed planning of all aspects of a building, and ensures its compliance with a maze of local, state, and Federal building codes, fire codes, disability-related codes, worker-safety related codes...infinite codes and regulations. I think that this unfortunate national tragedy demonstrates how important the architectural profession is to the health, safety, and welfare of the public...architects may not "save" lives on a daily basis but we are charged with the responsibility of being experts in creating conditions that will help to prevent or minimize its loss.

-Plumbing is not a profession in the same sense that medicine, law, architecture, engineering, accounting, etc., are. If "deserve" enters into it, all these arguably "deserve" to make more than a plumber.

-I believe in a free market economy...if you can make more honest money as a plumber than as a doctor or other so-called professional, great, you're a smart guy and you do deserve it.

As far as enjoying being an architect, it has some great rewards but they come at a high cost...I worked very, very hard for 32 years, in school and after, as hard as any doctor on this board. One reason I retired early was because I honestly felt that to continue practicing architecture full-steam would take 10 years off my life.

 

'snip'
Radiology/derm: In by 9 am, off at 11am...perhaps pull a late day until 3pm. Hardly on call. TRY to get an xray read after 5 pm or on a weekends. It would be easier to make Kerry a Republican.

Most xrays are read in real time by another doc anyway (IM/FP/ER), and acted on long before the radiologist wakes up. Most readings are done after the fact, and pt care has already been initiated. 300$ to read an xray, which can be done in 2.5 seconds excluding the formality of dictating (add 6 more seconds ).

Again, mean no disrespect, and am frankly quite jealous...
'snip'

Getting to this thread sort of late. I'm a neuroradiologist/interventional radiologist, who first started out in neurosurgery. I remember pulling every other night call as a junior neurosurgery resident (for the non-docs, second post-graduate year out of 7 total for a the whole neurosurgery residency). It used to piss me off that to get a film looked at after 5pm was impossible! Meanwhile, I was rounding until 10 at night, on my off call day! I finally saw the light, and quit to become a neuroradiologist. Of course, this meant going thru the match again, 4 more years of residency and a two year fellowship.

My days are are by no means 9-11 am shifts--I work 8-5 like any other working stiff. My call is interventional averages every 6th night. $300 readings do not even exist, even for MRIs!

 

Bo, your opinion's yours, mine's mine, we're both standing our ground, it's cool.

Yes, I have read through this thread and your posts, as well as other doctor-to-doctor discussion threads on Fchat. I understand the BS that docs have had to go through in the last 25-30 yrs...I've had Dr. clients and friends and heard their stories...my longstanding urologist was quite interested that I had retired...he's 10 years younger than me and wants to get out of medicine at 55 or earlier, and he is a very top guy in his specialty. Point is, no regrets on my part about sticking with the architecture route...After arch. school, I was in a summer of taking it easy for awhile and reflecting...I briefly thought about going back and picking up the remaining requirements and trying for med. school.

Anyway, one last thought. Architects' fees are almost always market-based and competitive...we don't have an insurance industry and government pay programs to back up our incomes...I know the hassles and bureaucratic bullschit are there, but so is the money. If it's government work, architects are selected by competitive bidding, except for the largest and most prestigious projects.

If Dr.'s incomes were determined entirely by free-market forces, based simply on what patients could pay out of pocket, they'd be in line with architects, engineers, accountants, etc.

 

Wrong again. And there are plenty of others on this board.

 

Yeah. There are so many young owners, even though I'm still in my 20's sometimes I think, "where did I go wrong?"

 

Drug dealers, or pimps??
I was 40 before I was a pimp, was 19-20 when I got my first Ferrari.
Now we're all hoes of the insurance cos.

 

I should have been more clear...I was referencing the earlier post to the same assumption.

 

Once again, my double barrel pinkey rings and I take personal offense to the pimp remark.

Only a pimp or a person of color can look as good as I do with my "Bling"
and I'm olive skinned...............

 

Yah, but U work in da dark so nobody can tell

 

What is this? is it a Ferari forum or a comunist discussion...please don't be concerned by how much a doctor, an architect, a plumber or anybody else gets.
I participate on this forum because I'm a Ferrari lover, and I don't care about jobs, politics or religions affairs of the other chatters.
By the way, isn't america e free economic market

 

what about us...the x-ray docs?

 

rock on Frank..spoken like a true RadsMan...we work damn hard for our money..don't ever forget that as well

 

But you seem so naturally at home in a dump, with the rest of us....
Next time we'll go to a really classy restaurant for fine dining - I hear there is a Cracker Barrell on I-10. I'll call for reservations.

 

no liability with radiology?? what have you been smoking pal? also, we are paid to see and catch things that you will miss the majority of the time

 

All of you Doc's are pimps. I revenue 10mil per year building homes and doing some small developments and I still have my energy traders license which I still use on a some what full time basis and I don't bring home near 600K per year.