Earning Potential as a Doctor

[chinaski]

At a guess, they're reliant on the claimant to report. They can only "break it down" to the extent of the information that is supplied to them.

 

[Sokka]

I’m not sure if this has been answered before but it’s something I’ve been thinking about. Do rural doctors get paid more than a doctor working in an urban area? If so, how much more?
I’ve seen some websites say that it’s around 11% higher, is this true?

Im asking this solely out of curiosity, and obviously will not be a deciding factor in anything hahaha

 

[Caffeine]

I’m not sure if this has been answered before but it’s something I’ve been thinking about. Do rural doctors get paid more than a doctor working in an urban area? If so, how much more?
I’ve seen some websites say that it’s around 11% higher, is this true?

Im asking this solely out of curiosity, and obviously will not be a deciding factor in anything hahaha

In general yes they do . The exact amount however does vary based on the location as some locations have far greater needs for doctors than other rural areas. In general some places can pay 30%+ what you would get in urban locations For example Rural GP's can earn significantly more than GP's in urban locations. However for GP's the amount of clients they have is also a major factor in their compensation hence this doesn't apply in all cases. Working in a rural area comes with significant sacrifices and often the additional compensation is well deserved.

 

[A1]

Do rural doctors get paid more than a doctor working in an urban area?

I've seen reported a Rural Generalist 7 years out of med school was on $400k salary (gov hospital position) with free housing & utilities provided.

 

[DNA]

In general yes they do . The exact amount however does vary based on the location as some locations have far greater needs for doctors than other rural areas. In general some places can pay 30%+ what you would get in urban locations For example Rural GP's can earn significantly more than GP's in urban locations. However for GP's the amount of clients they have is also a major factor in their compensation hence this doesn't apply in all cases. Working in a rural area comes with significant sacrifices and often the additional compensation is well deserved.

To add to that, the government also pays doctors for service in rural areas. The exact figures are listed on the government website but I remember seeing that working in an RA7 location for more than 5 years yields a bonus 60k per year.

I've seen reported a Rural Generalist 7 years out of med school was on $400k salary (gov hospital position) with free housing & utilities provided.

I'm interested in the rural generalist pathway but don't fully understand it... when they finish their training, are they rural GPs called 'rural generalists' or are they their own specialists? I know Queensland has recognised 'Rural Generalist' as a speciality but other states haven't yet. I also know graduates that follow the rural generalist pathway end up with a FACRRM or FARGP (this is what confuses me) rather than they're own fellowship kinda thing.

 

[A1]

I also know graduates that follow the rural generalist pathway end up with a FACRRM or FARGP (this is what confuses me) rather than they're own fellowship kinda thing.

Here's a comparison between FARCGP and FACRRM
> https://gpsynergy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Comparison-RACGP-ACRRM-Quick-Guide-v2.4.pdf

I think for Rural Generalist you need to go through the latter
> https://www.acrrm.org.au/about-us/the-college/rural-generalist-medicine

Btw Prof Murray Dean of JCU Med is a past President of the ACRRM.

 

[forevafrensbear]

It is dependent on the position, rural position and sometimes the individual incentives for the practitioner. Income also depends upon whether you are salaried or in private practice. As mentioned, being rural has certain disadvantages (e.g. less support from specialist colleagues who do not service the area ; lack of cover and a perceived responsibility for a large patient load ; those with young families often prefer to be near the urban schools)

At a JMO level it depends upon your award but you would expect compensation or paid flights to your location and suitable accomodation while you were there.

 

[David3sber]

For those saying 200k is not a lot of money, have a long hard look at yourself.

 

[Benjamin]

For those saying 200k is not a lot of money, have a long hard look at yourself.

I've not gone back in the necro-thread any further than 2 years but I couldn't find anyone saying this recently here.

Care to elaborate on your concerns?

 

[David3sber]

I've not gone back in the necro-thread any further than 2 years but I couldn't find anyone saying this recently here.

Care to elaborate on your concerns?

I apologise as I realise the comment was from many years ago. In my opinion, (when seeing the struggles of many individuals overseas who have difficulties having reliable sources of food) complaining about such a wealthy salary demonstrates a focus on capital and excess which is unfruitful.

 

[chinaski]

I'll bite. To point out that $200K isn't that much money in the context of what you have to do to get to and stay at that echelon of earning capacity is not a "complaint" so much as a statement of fact. There are a lot of other jobs that pay similar rates which can be achieved without as much effort and sacrifice. The fact that there are people in developing countries who are not as fortunate as those of us in wealthy countries is a whataboutism and isn't really relevant to this discussion.

 

[David3sber]

I'll bite. To point out that $200K isn't that much money in the context of what you have to do to get to and stay at that echelon of earning capacity is not a "complaint" so much as a statement of fact. There are a lot of other jobs that pay similar rates which can be achieved without as much effort and sacrifice. The fact that there are people in developing countries who are not as fortunate as those of us in wealthy countries is a whataboutism and isn't really relevant to this discussion.

You’re hundred percent correct. In comparison to some other jobs it isn’t as significant as people make a doctors salary out to be. However, it is more than enough to live a comfortable lifestyle. Very comfortable. Moreover, it offers the non-financial reward of serving people daily in their health that you don’t receive from other jobs. I would be inclined to conclude that Medicine is holistically more rewarding then other industries that pay similar amounts.

I humbly disagree. My statement is not a whataboutism that should be ignored as ‘irrelevant.’ it’s important to keep things in context. We live in one the richest nations in the world and doctors are part of the richest people in the richest nation. So yes, i think perspective is important.

 

[chinaski]

I don't think anyone has suggested that $200K is not enough upon which to live comfortably. The non-financial rewards of the job, again, are not relevant to the bare facts of the matter. I'd also add that all the virtue signalling about medicine being a noble profession as a way of justifying a relative underpayment for what it takes to get here is a strategy that management often try to employ to undervalue the work we do. Regarding medicine as a "calling" rather than a job that takes time, effort and personal sacrifice implies that one should feel fortunate for being in such a wonderful vocation, and that asking for we are worth is a mercenary act. Similarly, citing people who have things worse off that others is a way of shutting down debate for improvement in our own field. By your logic, nobody in a developed country should complain about anything, because there's always someone worse off than us. For example:

Want a pay packet that actually reflects your worth to society? Think of all the people who earn less than you; you are ungrateful.
Want women's rights? Think of the women in other countries who don't have as many rights as you; you should be quiet and happy with what you have.
Want less violence in the community? Think of those people who have to live in gated communities; you're comparatively safer than them.

This is a discussion about pay in a developed country, not an ideological discussion about how wealth should be distributed globally, or whether it is ethical to be paid a lot in an affluent country when others are living in poverty.

 

[Nonstandard983]

I humbly disagree. My statement is not a whataboutism that should be ignored as ‘irrelevant.’ it’s important to keep things in context. We live in one the richest nations in the world and doctors are part of the richest people in the richest nation. So yes, i think perspective is important.

It is 'whataboutism' if you compare the wage of a McDonalds employee in Australia to the average wage in Congo you can use it to argue that the McDonalds worker is rich beyond belief and shouldn't complain about their wage when in reality they are on the poverty line or close to it in Australia. Furthermore, doctors in general are not part of the richest people in this nation I dare say that would go to people like gina rineheart who are billionaires within this country when you compare 200k annually to what some even on their board of directors would earn you can see they are not financially in the same class. I am not saying 200 000 is a pittance at all just disagreeing with what you are saying here.

 

[David3sber]

It is 'whataboutism' if you compare the wage of a McDonalds employee in Australia to the average wage in Congo you can use it to argue that the McDonalds worker is rich beyond belief and shouldn't complain about their wage when in reality they are on the poverty line or close to it in Australia. Furthermore, doctors in general are not part of the richest people in this nation I dare say that would go to people like gina rineheart who are billionaires within this country when you compare 200k annually to what some even on their board of directors would earn you can see they are not financially in the same class. I am not saying 200 000 is a pittance at all just disagreeing with what you are saying here.

I speak with 17 year old ignorance and for that i apologise. Growing up in social housing, I would bite your hand off to be a doctor earning minimum 200k a year while interacting people on a daily basis. Of course, the hours put in at medical school and in training may eventually alter my perception on what is fair pay.
From my perspective, medicine is one of those professions that doesn’t pay as much as superiors in other jobs, however the volume of individuals that earn a secure income is greater then say law for example.

 

[Nonstandard983]

I speak with 17 year old ignorance and for that i apologise. Growing up in social housing, I would bite your hand off to be a doctor earning minimum 200k a week while interacting people on a daily basis. Of course, the hours put in at medical school and in training may eventually alter my perception on what is fair pay.
From my perspective, medicine is one of those professions that doesn’t pay as much as superiors in other jobs, however the volume of individuals that earn a secure income is greater then say law for example.

Many of us here have no-one in our family who has ever earned that much or even close to it. I spent four years in the army which I enlisted for at 17 and earned more than my parents were and trust me the army doesn't pay big dollars for an enlisted sapper. Regardless of our personal situations it doesn't change the story that when compared to other professions the time spent on education inside and outside medical school, the responsibility of the job and the amount of time that it requires 200k is not a massive amount of compensation imho. My point being that people should not get into medicine for high compensation because their are many other easier and more fruitful paths out there for that.

 

[chinaski]

Of course, the hours put in at medical school and in training may eventually alter my perception on what is fair pay.

Speaking from the other side, and as someone who is not money-driven, I can confidently say I would absolutely not continue to do my job if it were not paid well. Independently, the (many) non-financial positives of the job simply do not outweigh the negatives, so the pay-packet is a kind of compensation for the latter.

 

[Lawso]

I'll bite. To point out that $200K isn't that much money in the context of what you have to do to get to and stay at that echelon of earning capacity is not a "complaint" so much as a statement of fact. There are a lot of other jobs that pay similar rates which can be achieved without as much effort and sacrifice. The fact that there are people in developing countries who are not as fortunate as those of us in wealthy countries is a whataboutism and isn't really relevant to this discussion.

What would be a more appropriate average/median compensation for the amount of effort put in to reach the level being discussed? (earning 200k per year)

 

[Grilled Cheese]

Speaking from the other side, and as someone who is not money-driven, I can confidently say I would absolutely not continue to do my job if it were not paid well. Independently, the (many) non-financial positives of the job simply do not outweigh the negatives, so the pay-packet is a kind of compensation for the latter.

I also completely agree with this.

 

[Havox]

What would be a more appropriate average/median compensation for the amount of effort put in to reach the level being discussed? (earning 200k per year)

Double it and we'll start talking. I take huge cuts to my paycheck purely for the sake of balancing my workload and maintaining sanity while doing work I actually enjoy. Once you make over a certain threshold, I didn't find lifestyle changed too drastically - this is obviously a personal thing. Yeah, I have financial goals but I stopped chasing the dollar after Residency.