GP-Anesthesia

[White-Tiger]

Hey all,
I'm just wondering how hard it is to get into the PGY-3 programs for GP-A? There doesn't seem to be any statistics available from the CaRMS website and very little information from the CCFP website?

[cold]

White Tiger,

Think twice about GP-A as a career. Yeah it sounds cool... only one extra year and you can do anaesthesia for ASA 1,2 cases, not super stressful, reasonably well paid, extra Airway skills and good resusc skills.

The problem is that it's hard to find jobs as a GP-A unless your willing to live in the sticks. Only really rural hospitals have GP-A's. the two largest hospitals that hire GP-A's are orillia and St. Thomas. Both have full complements and are not looking. Also when you are in the sticks you also have to do call. Which is 1 in 2 or 1 in 3. Which means you have to live in that small town. There is also no standardized certification at the end of it. Also nurse anaesthetists and anaesthesia assistants are slowly infiltrating into medicine in the next 10 years. Just look at how anaesthesia runs in the states and you'll see what is going to happen here.

Sounds good but lots of reasons not to. Do EM training, it's more practical, but I"m biased.

Cold Hearted
CCFP EM resident.

[Knovecc]

I just wanna dig this old thread out...
anyone can comment on the financial side of:

FM/EM vs GP-A vs GP-OB vs FP-purely office?

[jawad12ca]

could you shed a little light on how competitive the CCFP EM is? I'm a US grad.

Originally Posted by cold

White Tiger,

Think twice about GP-A as a career. Yeah it sounds cool... only one extra year and you can do anaesthesia for ASA 1,2 cases, not super stressful, reasonably well paid, extra Airway skills and good resusc skills.

The problem is that it's hard to find jobs as a GP-A unless your willing to live in the sticks. Only really rural hospitals have GP-A's. the two largest hospitals that hire GP-A's are orillia and St. Thomas. Both have full complements and are not looking. Also when you are in the sticks you also have to do call. Which is 1 in 2 or 1 in 3. Which means you have to live in that small town. There is also no standardized certification at the end of it. Also nurse anaesthetists and anaesthesia assistants are slowly infiltrating into medicine in the next 10 years. Just look at how anaesthesia runs in the states and you'll see what is going to happen here.

Sounds good but lots of reasons not to. Do EM training, it's more practical, but I"m biased.

Cold Hearted
CCFP EM resident.

[cheech10]

Originally Posted by Knovecc

I just wanna dig this old thread out...
anyone can comment on the financial side of:

FM/EM vs GP-A vs GP-OB vs FP-purely office?

Extremely variable. In all of these settings, the more you work, and the better you set up your office from a business POV, the better you will do. Really comes down to a lifestyle/work experience decision.

[Knovecc]

Originally Posted by cheech10

Extremely variable. In all of these settings, the more you work...the better you will do

thanks cheech
yeah but for the same amount of work, income is different.
like i know if you work at emerg, you earn like 180-200$+ per hour, while i seriously doubt you can earn that much in office: say you work 9-5 in office with 1hr lunch time, can you earn 200*7=1400$ ? I personally doubt it

maybe the example i just gave above is bs, correct me if im wrong

[cheech10]

$1400 in an 8 hour day is certainly possible in a well-run office. You'd have to take overhead off that to compare it to ER remuneration, so it is a bit less per hour, but the hours are much better (9 to 5 is much easier than midnight to 8 AM, for example). Also need to account for more days worked per month in a typical office than ER, so the difference in annual remuneration isn't that large.

[Wachaa]

I've had a lot of family doctor preceptors see 50+ patients per day in less than 8 hours. Sometimes 50 patients in 5-6 hours or less. That's over $1500 (closer to $1800). They see their patients faster than an emerg doc does, around 2-8 minutes per patient. They're also able to do their billings, referrals, and lab test orders during the visit, which minimizes paperwork later.

[MedNSports]

Comment on GPA. Just want to point out some of the advantages...

- If you plan to work in small places anyway, being GPA also gives you confidence to do ER in small communities. Let's face it, the only thing in the +1ER year that you cannot or is harder to learn alone is resuscitation and stabilizing a patient's vitals! The +1 in Anes is all about that! Fractures, infections, casting etc can all be learned as you go along...
- You can do pain injections/ pain procedures like spinal pumps with confidence making you easily a referral center as chronic pain becomes more and more hot and sexy!
- Actually there are three places hiring GPAs now all three within 1-2 hrs from London, ON.

As far as practicality goes, EM is def more practical but not everyone can work shifts, it's draining despite it looking so incredibly easy in the beginning, 8 hrs, 14 shifts a month; it will take a toll on your body.

Keep in mind, these things will always be changing in medicine! Today EM is hot, GPA is not, a few yrs ago family medicine wasn't popular, today it's great. Remember, do what you like

[Knovecc]

Originally Posted by MedNSports

Keep in mind, these things will always be changing in medicine! ...a few yrs ago family medicine wasn't popular, today it's great.

good point
but do you really think fp is becoming more popular nowadays?