Emergency medicine usually conjures up images of ER documents welcoming patients at the front door of a hospital. While this is the case for many emergency doctors, there are several paths that an EP can pursue. Knowing the differences between academic medicine and private practice can help steer a beginning career course or help influence a career change in the future.
Physicians, motivated by the desire to shape the future of emergency medicine, can flourish in their careers as an academic EP. While academic doctors usually pay less than private practice practitioners, they reap the benefits of fame in their field, as well as the opportunity to instruct residents and even medical students. In addition to the practice of emergency medicine, academic doctors are involved in research, leading research and training of residents, all aspects of academic medicine that may be helpful. This may seem like a rather heavy load, but the potential for praise in the medical community due to significant research is an attractive goal to be pursued. In addition, since this is a relatively new specialty, it is possible to influence the future of education in emergency medicine. In addition, academic doctors are less prone to burnout due to the variety of activities they perform outside of patient monitoring.
Another option for the practice of emergency medicine is practice in a private group. Working in private practice can increase the potential for emergency care, but he or she may not enjoy the prestige that comes with an academic emergency doctor. Private emergency physicians belong to the group that serves the hospital emergency departments and other arenas. Although they are not required to conduct research or participate in clinical training, they are likely to be responsible for the administrative completion of their practice. Private medical practitioners are usually better compensated than academic doctors, because they don’t fund huge research projects or don’t support the overhead for a large university hospital.
In addition to academic and private practice options, there are many career paths for emergency doctors. Academic doctors can participate in scholarships if they are particularly passionate about hospice care, medical toxicology, hyperbaric medicine, pediatric medicine or sports medicine. There are also opportunities for emergency doctors in government, such as the military. Regardless of where emergency doctors finish their practice, they are in great demand and can count on a long, exciting career.
