Weekend only jobs - Where to look?

[IDKwhattodoyet]

I'm a PP pain guy (recent grad) with the inclination to keep my foot in anesthesia and Im interested in finding a weekend only gig (1 weekend a mo). Im not having any luck. Ive been looking on gasworks and contacted my local practices. The local practices, that I can get a hold off, want full time only. I am licensed in 3 states and looking in all 3. I'm willing to travel for the weekend.

I'm not having any luck. Do you guys have any suggestions on where to look or how to go about finding something like this?

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[UscGhost]

I am surprised that it's hard to find. My group would always be interested in that

 

[neutro]

I'm a PP pain guy (recent grad) with the inclination to keep my foot in anesthesia and Im interested in finding a weekend only gig (1 weekend a mo). Im not having any luck. Ive been looking on gasworks and contacted my local practices. The local practices, that I can get a hold off, want full time only. I am licensed in 3 states and looking in all 3. I'm willing to travel for the weekend.

I'm not having any luck. Do you guys have any suggestions on where to look or how to go about finding something like this?

I can tell you that anesthesia practices will be very wary of someone doing full time pain and no daytime anesthesia and then be expected to do high acuity cases on weekend
And that too once a month

I wouldn’t really engage with someone like that if I were the anesthesia chair

We have weekend warriors and even then sometimes we question their skill
And ability because they’re not doing day time cases or getting to know our regular surgeons

Situation would be different if you were doing Anesthesia full time and now were looking for weekends locums work on top of that

A better option would be to do pain 4 days a week and anesthesia one day a week

Lots of ASCs locally would be open to that

 

[aneftp]

I am surprised that it's hard to find. My group would always be interested in that

It’s because most people looking are only willing to provide 3pm- Friday coverage to 630am Monday coverage 26 weekends out of the year

Can your group pay 500k per anesthesia meaning 2 docs to cover all 52 weekends ? At a total cost of 1 million. Plus have crna.

That’s what it will take.

And that’s what’s I’m getting offered in the South
475k plus 100k bonus over 3 years). Essentially 500k average plus full hospital w2 benefits.

It’s because the two locums docs are costing them 900k. To provide locums for 26 weeks out of the year. (The two Locum docs split the (26 weekends) they tag team.

So I come in cheaper at 500k a year for 26 weeks.

 

[Simba1711]

I was curious about this as well. Going to be looking for weekend work as our private practice group will persist but the main hospital we do call at will be closing. Don’t want to lose my skills doing just ambulatory cases and Endo.

 

[nimbus]

I was curious about this as well. Going to be looking for weekend work as our private practice group will persist but the main hospital we do call at will be closing. Don’t want to lose my skills doing just ambulatory cases and Endo.

Why is the hospital closing?

 

[caligas]

Just get your CV to a few locums recruiters, you will have more weekend work than you can stand.

 

[dabears505]

What states are you looking?

 

[IDKwhattodoyet]

I can tell you that anesthesia practices will be very wary of someone doing full time pain and no daytime anesthesia and then be expected to do high acuity cases on weekend
And that too once a month

I wouldn’t really engage with someone like that if I were the anesthesia chair

We have weekend warriors and even then sometimes we question their skill
And ability because they’re not doing day time cases or getting to know our regular surgeons

Situation would be different if you were doing Anesthesia full time and now were looking for weekends locums work on top of that

A better option would be to do pain 4 days a week and anesthesia one day a week

Lots of ASCs locally would be open to that

I can understand the sentiment. However, I have worked at a level 1 with a residency program as the in house attending covering everything except cardiac. Also board certified. I dont think being in a community setting dealing with General, OB, Ortho should be risky. I would not do it if I felt I was putting patient at risk. I genuinely enjoy anesthesia and dont want to give up that identity.

 

[IDKwhattodoyet]

What states are you looking?

FL, SC, NC

 

[ProwlerturnGas]

“I don’t think being in a community setting dealing with General, OB, Ortho should be risky.”

Oh man…

 

[neutro]

“I don’t think being in a community setting dealing with General, OB, Ortho should be risky.”

Oh man…

Yeah….

 

[Simba1711]

In my experience community hospitals can have patients just as sick as an academic hospital. Of course the academic hospital may do more complex procedures but they are usually more optimized day of the procedure and you have access to most of their records.

 

[IDKwhattodoyet]

“I don’t think being in a community setting dealing with General, OB, Ortho should be risky.”

Oh man…

In my experience community hospitals can have patients just as sick as an academic hospital. Of course the academic hospital may do more complex procedures but they are usually more optimized day of the procedure and you have access to most of their records.

You're right they defiantly do. From my experience, the big advantages that community hospitals tend to have is that the surgeons dont want to operate on sick patients and there is not appropriate ICU care available for post op. This tends to cause diversion of a lot of patients out of the OR to larger facilities that have the appropriate capabilities.

EDIT:

There is also not appropriate blood supply available for large cases where Im expecting high volume loss.

 

[nimbus]

You're right they defiantly do. From my experience, the big advantages that community hospitals tend to have is that the surgeons dont want to operate on sick patients and there is not appropriate ICU care available for post op. This tends to cause diversion of a lot of patients out of the OR to larger facilities that have the appropriate capabilities.

EDIT:

There is also not appropriate blood supply available for large cases where Im expecting high volume loss.

There is a wide variation in community hospitals. Some community hospitals are large and have level 1 trauma centers, heart failure programs, liver transplant programs, and 3 ICUs. Even in small 100 bed, 4 OR hospitals, you will occasionally get dead bowel with 15% EF and tight AS on weekends.

How many years of anesthesia have you done before going into pain? How long has it been since you did anesthesia?

When our new hires start, they need to work at least 2 weeks full-time during the day at our site before they can take call.

Just like I don’t think people should dabble in pain, I also don’t think people should dabble in anesthesia.

 

[abolt18]

There is a wide variation in community hospitals. Some community hospitals are large and have level 1 trauma centers, heart failure programs, liver transplant programs, and 3 ICUs. Even in small 100 bed, 4 OR hospitals, you will occasionally get dead bowel with 15% EF and tight AS on weekends.

How many years of anesthesia have you done before going into pain? How long has it been since you did anesthesia?

When our new hires start, they need to work at least 2 weeks full-time during the day at our site before they can take call.

Just like I don’t think people should dabble in pain, I also don’t think people should dabble in anesthesia.

My job requires a month of days before taking call.

Where I did residency and worked as faculty for a year, you have to do a year before you can work nights as the solo attending in house (there's now 2 in house so I don't know if that's changed). Weekends there were other faculty so that's not such a big deal, but I'm pretty sure I had to wait a couple months to work weekends.

 

[nimbus]

My job requires a month of days before taking call.

Where I did residency and worked as faculty for a year, you have to do a year before you can work nights as the solo attending in house (there's now 2 in house so I don't know if that's changed). Weekends there were other faculty so that's not such a big deal, but I'm pretty sure I had to wait a couple months to work weekends.

I agree a month would be better. Some of it is not even anesthesia. It’s learning which staff members are on the ball and which ones are idiots. Which surgeon’s 3hr case can easily turn into 8 hrs so you might want to bring a snack, put in some lines at the beginning, and order some blood.

 

[Burned_Out]

There is quite a bit of difference between practicing in an academic setting and out in the community. There are lots of cowboys out in the community who would have no problems doing the type of patients you describe, who should otherwise be transferred to a higher level of care. How's your Ketofol skills? Good with surgical airways? Are you comfortable taking care of a cardiac patient with acute CHF and active ischemia who needs that hip repaired and at a place that has no in-house cardiologist or cath lab? Your hospitalist you need to consult for a critically ill patient is nothing more than a glorified family practitioner. Or how about resuscitating that distressed preemie baby that just delivered and there is no neonatologist or even a pediatrician available.

These are questions you need to ask yourself as to how you will handle this if working out in the community and on the weekend without any support.

 

[Bertelman]

Are you comfortable taking care of a cardiac patient with acute CHF and active ischemia who needs that hip repaired and at a place that has no in-house cardiologist or cath lab?

You should probably send that to a facility with a Cath lab. Don’t have to worry about the 24-hr hip Fx rules. They won’t last that long if you don’t open that up.

 

[Tuohy]

There is a wide variation in community hospitals. Some community hospitals are large and have level 1 trauma centers, heart failure programs, liver transplant programs, and 3 ICUs. Even in small 100 bed, 4 OR hospitals, you will occasionally get dead bowel with 15% EF and tight AS on weekends.

How many years of anesthesia have you done before going into pain? How long has it been since you did anesthesia?

When our new hires start, they need to work at least 2 weeks full-time during the day at our site before they can take call.

Just like I don’t think people should dabble in pain, I also don’t think people should dabble in anesthesia.

I have seen some terrifying anesthesia and incompetence from pain docs who want to "play in the sandbox" of OR anesthesia. Obviously, a lot of this is context dependent.

 

[Burned_Out]

You should probably send that to a facility with a Cath lab. Don’t have to worry about the 24-hr hip Fx rules. They won’t last that long if you don’t open that up.

You should, but can you? This happens more than you think out there.

 

[Bertelman]

You should, but can you? This happens more than you think out there.

I'm sure it does. My facility has a Cath lab, so it's an easy call for us. But I can only imagine.

 

[aneftp]

Some of the weekend jobs come and go. My friend who does a lot of work with his 20’plus weeks vacation off from his real job. He doesn’t have much lined up in January but already making 550k with 20’weeks off and no in house calls with an AMC. He also works 40 hours a week.

That’s why I try to tell people out there. You can have your cake and eat it also (the full time 40 hour a week job like me and my friend) plus make really good money on the side.

Don’t get caught up on the q4/6 calls. That’s 1990-2010s bygone era.

The trend is the 40 hour work week plus time off to do whatever you want.

 

[ucladoc2b]

My job requires a month of days before taking call.

Where I did residency and worked as faculty for a year, you have to do a year before you can work nights as the solo attending in house (there's now 2 in house so I don't know if that's changed). Weekends there were other faculty so that's not such a big deal, but I'm pretty sure I had to wait a couple months to work weekends.

Wow, that’s a lot (especially if it’s an experienced faculty).

I had two weeks before I had my first solo trauma call. Had a case within 30 minutes.

 

[UscGhost]

Some of the weekend jobs come and go. My friend who does a lot of work with his 20’plus weeks vacation off from his real job. He doesn’t have much lined up in January but already making 550k with 20’weeks off and no in house calls with an AMC. He also works 40 hours a week.

That’s why I try to tell people out there. You can have your cake and eat it also (the full time 40 hour a week job like me and my friend) plus make really good money on the side.

Don’t get caught up on the q4/6 calls. That’s 1990-2010s bygone era.

The trend is the 40 hour work week plus time off to do whatever you want.

Very area dependent.

Very few of those jobs in OC. Most groups aren't interested in hiring those roles unless they are very short. And even then it might be only a small percentage of the overall group.

 

[luckybuck]

Some of the weekend jobs come and go. My friend who does a lot of work with his 20’plus weeks vacation off from his real job. He doesn’t have much lined up in January but already making 550k with 20’weeks off and no in house calls with an AMC. He also works 40 hours a week.

That’s why I try to tell people out there. You can have your cake and eat it also (the full time 40 hour a week job like me and my friend) plus make really good money on the side.

Don’t get caught up on the q4/6 calls. That’s 1990-2010s bygone era.

The trend is the 40 hour work week plus time off to do whatever you want.

So your friend has a job where he or she makes 550K, works 40 hrs a week, and takes over 20 weeks off? Where is this?

 

[nimbus]

So your friend has a job where he or she makes 550K, works 40 hrs a week, and takes over 20 weeks off? Where is this?

If other people have $17K+/week,
$430/hr 40hr/week 32weeks/yr permanent jobs, I’m actually jealous.

 

[luckybuck]

If other people have $17K+/week,
$430/hr 40hr/week 32weeks/yr permanent jobs, I’m actually jealous.

Exactly. If you extrapolate it out to working 44 weeks and 8 weeks vaca (which is plenty for most especially if you're working 40 hrs a week), then you'd make 763k with this job.

 

[nimbus]

I have seen some terrifying anesthesia and incompetence from pain docs who want to "play in the sandbox" of OR anesthesia. Obviously, a lot of this is context dependent.

I haven’t seen it myself but I can only imagine how bad I would be if I only did anesthesia 2 days per month. As it stands I do it almost every day and I’m just average

 

[narcotics999]

If other people have $17K+/week,
$430/hr 40hr/week 32weeks/yr permanent jobs, I’m actually jealous.

Where are these 430/hr work? I can only get 350

 

[aneftp]

So your friend has a job where he or she makes 550K, works 40 hrs a week, and takes over 20 weeks off? Where is this?

Florida.

My other friend in Arkansas has similar package. 465k/18 weeks off. He averages 42 hours a week. But hospitals employed so better healthcare package and hospital retirement plan matching 23k. All beeper call float. So only one doc at night and that’s at home with following week off post beeper float

The amc my friend works with doesn’t have much retirement matching

The post float call float week is the key. So it’s advertised as 13 weeks officially. But it’s another 7 unofficial weeks off. 13 plus 7 equals 20 weeks.

 

[nimbus]

Where are these 430/hr work? I can only get 350

Ask @aneftp

Some of the weekend jobs come and go. My friend who does a lot of work with his 20’plus weeks vacation off from his real job. He doesn’t have much lined up in January but already making 550k with 20’weeks off and no in house calls with an AMC. He also works 40 hours a week.

That’s why I try to tell people out there. You can have your cake and eat it also (the full time 40 hour a week job like me and my friend) plus make really good money on the side.

Don’t get caught up on the q4/6 calls. That’s 1990-2010s bygone era.

The trend is the 40 hour work week plus time off to do whatever you want.

 

[Maverikk]

Florida.

My other friend in Arkansas has similar package. 465k/18 weeks off. He averages 42 hours a week. But hospitals employed so better healthcare package and hospital retirement plan matching 23k. All beeper call float. So only one doc at night and that’s at home with following week off post beeper float

The amc my friend works with doesn’t have much retirement matching

The post float call float week is the key. So it’s advertised as 13 weeks officially. But it’s another 7 unofficial weeks off. 13 plus 7 equals 20 weeks.

How does your float system work? What does 1 FTE do? Does everyone do float? I’ve been involved with a few different scheduling systems and every time someone in the group floats the idea of a float system (all puns intended) to cure the ills of the current system but I haven’t worked in a float system since residency awhile ago and obviously that’s different scheduling

 

[aneftp]

How does your float system work? What does 1 FTE do? Does everyone do float? I’ve been involved with a few different scheduling systems and every time someone in the group floats the idea of a float system (all puns intended) to cure the ills of the current system but I haven’t worked in a float system since residency awhile ago and obviously that’s different scheduling

Everyone in the group has to be on the same page.
Float comes in 3/5pm depends on the hospitals. Works 7 days.

So you float 1 week every 5-7 weeks depending on practice. Works best for beeper calls systems.

Once the week is over the float person gets the extra week off. You can justify the float week because you technically are on the “clock” 98 hours. Time is money you tell the hospital. I’ve been telling people. Beeper is my time. And it’s worth just as much as being at the hospital. If I can’t drink or go out of town. That’s my time and it counts. 98 hours equals 2 weeks of work. Equals extra week off. Even if I’m “in house” half the time.

 

[PpfSuxTube]

I haven’t seen it myself but I can only imagine how bad I would be if I only did anesthesia 2 days per month. As it stands I do it almost every day and I’m just average

I'm definitely rusty my 1st day back after a few weeks in icu etc too.

 

[Simba1711]

Might be stupid question but how do you guys find the contact information. For the anesthesia department. Most places don’t have numbers or emails on their website.

 

[POW16]

Might be stupid question but how do you guys find the contact information. For the anesthesia department. Most places don’t have numbers or emails on their website.

Call the hospital and ask to be transferred to either the OR or the anesthesiology department.

 

[dabears505]

Most places are going through locum agencies. Honestly it's pretty hard to randomly call some department and try and get a locum gig, especially only weekend.

 

[mdo1738]

I can understand the sentiment. However, I have worked at a level 1 with a residency program as the in house attending covering everything except cardiac. Also board certified. I dont think being in a community setting dealing with General, OB, Ortho should be risky. I would not do it if I felt I was putting patient at risk. I genuinely enjoy anesthesia and dont want to give up that identity.

Yeah I’m not sure why you’re getting so much flack. It’s not like you’ve been doing pain for 20 years or something. You’re a recent grad and board certified. It’s not that hard. I know several people who went to part time or full time OR anesthesia after varying time periods in pain without issue.

 

[neutro]

^ really?

Please explain how would you answer the following basic question required for credentialing at most hospitals:

“In the last 24 months, how many general anesthesiology cases have you performed?”

Ie show your case logs?

Yeah…in case there is a bad outcome, the first thing the attorneys will go after is credentials, ability and experience of the physician involved.

Hospital’s credentials committee will and should be named as that is considered irresponsible to credential someone to do OR anesthesia, that too on weekend call with less resources - when they have not intubated someone emergently over 2 years, placed lines, etc.

Not saying it doesn’t happen but there is a proper way to get back into anesthesia. Lots of people have done it. And the way to do it is to do daytime/ASC anesthesia 1-2 days a week and then build up. Don’t just jump into weekend call because it doesn’t interfere with weekday pain clinic schedule.

 

[dabears505]

It's easy until it's not