Freedom to make your own schedule as Urologist

[DeeplySuperficial]

According to the CMA Urology Profile, staff urologists work around 55 hours per week on avg and do 46 hours of call per month. I was wondering if staff urologists in community practice have the freedom to modify their schedule to potentially work slightly less hours, or is this not possible? Also, I am assuming that at academic centres staff urologists will be putting in 55ish hours easily and don't have the freedom to work less. Am I right?  

I ask because while I like surgery and don't mind the long hours during residency, I would like a specialty where I work more reasonable hours (47-50ish per week) as staff. 

 Thank you for your help. 

 

[#YOLO]

lollll

[robclem21]

You are going into the wrong career my friend...

[Edict]

 

On 12/5/2018 at 1:07 PM, DeeplySuperficial said:

According to the CMA Urology Profile, staff urologists work around 55 hours per week on avg and do 46 hours of call per month. I was wondering if staff urologists in community practice have the freedom to modify their schedule to potentially work slightly less hours, or is this not possible? Also, I am assuming that at academic centres staff urologists will be putting in 55ish hours easily and don't have the freedom to work less. Am I right?  

I ask because while I like surgery and don't mind the long hours during residency, I would like a specialty where I work more reasonable hours (47-50ish per week) as staff. 

 Thank you for your help. 

 

Yes, there is a lot of flexibility in the community generally. You may have to accept less compensation or you may have to sacrifice certain things but if you want to work slightly less hours than the average, it is most likely doable. Urology is a pretty broad specialty ranging from men's fertility specialists to renal transplantation. If you choose something more lifestyle within urology, you'll be fine with working less hours. At academic centers, urologists will very likely be putting in 55 hours easy and yes there wouldn't be freedom to work less until maybe the late stages of your career where you can rest your laurels on your seniority. 

[NLengr]

16 hours ago, Edict said:

 

Yes, there is a lot of flexibility in the community generally. You may have to accept less compensation or you may have to sacrifice certain things but if you want to work slightly less hours than the average, it is most likely doable. Urology is a pretty broad specialty ranging from men's fertility specialists to renal transplantation. If you choose something more lifestyle within urology, you'll be fine with working less hours. At academic centers, urologists will very likely be putting in 55 hours easy and yes there wouldn't be freedom to work less until maybe the late stages of your career where you can rest your laurels on your seniority. 

Community jobs make it pretty easy to work less. I have Wednesday AM off for non work appointments and stuff. I am not working this Monday since my partner doesn't need an OR assist. 

The difference in community work and academic work comes down to the nature of the job. In the community, you are the only person. You see the consults, you do the OR at 10 PM, you manage your patients on the floor. You do much more clinical medicine. In an academic center, you do less clinical medicine because you have residents and fellows. As a trade off, you have to do more paperwork and research. It may be boring to a degree but nobody has ever died because a research application wasn't filled out at 3 am.

Pick your poison.