Part-Time Physicians

Are you looking for an alternative to the 40 to 60 hour workweek? Part-time doctors make up a small but increasing percentage of the physician workforce. According to information from the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8% of all physicians and surgeons worked part-time in 2006. Part-time work is more common in specialties with a high proportion of female physicians, such as pediatrics, family medicine, and obstetrics/gynecology. Information from 2005 from the American Medical Association shows that more than 25% of pediatricians have worked part-time at some point in their careers. Among other specialties, more than 20% of psychiatrists and family doctors, 18% of obstetricians/gynecologists, and 16% of internists report working part-time at some point in their career.

Reducing your hours can give you more time with your family, allow you to pursue both clinical work and teaching duties, or get some rest. Here are some things to consider before making your final decision.

Drawbacks and Challenges

• Decreased income and fewer benefits: Also keep in mind that the costs associated with being a physician, such as malpractice insurance, practice overhead, and professional association fees, and licensing fees will take out a greater portion of your paycheck.

• Part-time plus: Many part-time physicians need to work beyond their scheduled hours in order to keep up with paperwork. When it comes to meetings, board exams, credentialing, and committee work, part-time physicians have the same requirements as full-time physicians, but relatively fewer hours to fulfill them.

• Depending on the rules of your practice, working part-time may disqualify you from becoming a full partner.

• Practices that employ a significant number of part-time physicians operate differently than those with full-time staff. For example, more effort must be put into coordinating schedules, greater flexibility may be required from all staff members, and doctors treating the same patient must communicate well to provide good continuity of care. For profiles of successful practices with many part-time employees, see "A Part-Time Practice Success Story" from the June 1999 issue of Family Practice Management and "Doctor Moms" from the March 27, 2006 edition of The Orange County Register.

• Quality of patient care: Some physicians are concerned about the longer wait times and other inconveniences their patients may experience when they switch to part-time work. The good news is that patients rated part-time and full-time physicians equally well in most areas of primary care, according to research published in the April 2000 edition of Archives of Family Medicine. Continuity of care was the one area where part-time doctors lagged behind full-time doctors.

Creating a Part-Time Position that Works for You

• If you run a solo practice, consider hiring a junior physician to take on some of your caseload. If you're looking for an employer, aim for a practice or hospital that already hires part-time physicians.

• If you work in a multi-partner practice, consider taking on fewer patients and more managerial and administrative duties.

• If you're part of a surgical practice, consider eliminating "majors" from your schedule, and limit your work to assisting in surgeries and office duties.

Additional Part-Time and Flexible Work Options

Job-Sharing: In a job-sharing scenario, all the duties of one FTE position are divided among two doctors. Unlike two part-time physicians who simply work in the same practice, physicians who job-share are always responsible for the same patients. Job-sharing is a more efficient arrangement, since it reduces the amount of paperwork and makes it easier to follow up on patients. For job-sharing to work well, the physicians must have similar treatment styles and non-conflicting schedules.

Locum Tenens: Locums usually last several months to a year, and are more common in rural areas. While you'll usually need to work full-time during the locum, you can take time off between postings. Other advantages to locum work include some ability to choose the location and duration of your next posting, and the chance to gain experience in different practice settings.

Resort Doctor: Cruise ships, ski resorts, and vacation getaways often employ doctors on a temporary or seasonal basis. During the off season, you'll have the option of taking it easy or pursuing other work. Plus there's the perk of traveling!

The "Free-Range" Physician: Rather than seeing patients at their practice, free-range physicians visit patients in their homes, nursing homes, hospices, and other facilities. They can control their workload by deciding how many facilities they work for and how many patients they see. Since free-range physicians do not have to pay the overhead costs associated with maintaining a practice, they can generate a reasonable income from a smaller pool of patients.

For more information, also see our general article Going Part-Time?

Part-Time Physicians

Drawbacks and Challenges

Creating a Part-Time Position that Works for You

Additional Part-Time and Flexible Work Options

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Sheng Wang

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