WHERE ARE DOCTORS IN THE US STILL COMPLETE?
After I shared about the things The hidden corner of resident doctors in the US that I recently shared, someone messaged me and asked, “So, after completing residency, will being a doctor in the US be less difficult?”
I myself went through years of residency training in the US and am now an official doctor working in the US, I also want to take this opportunity to share with you. from my perspective and experience so you can have more information.
1. Working time and personal life
It is true that during residency training, resident doctors sometimes have to work up to 80 hours/week. I myself was also very stressed and pressured in terms of time and health. To be honest, 3 years of residency was also the hardest time I have ever experienced in my entire life.
But fortunately that time only lasted 3 years. After becoming an official doctor, my life has become much easier and freer. Once I have a practicing certificate in the US, I have the freedom to choose a suitable job according to my interests and lifestyle.
For me, in addition to work and career development, I also value my health and spiritual life. I want to have time for my family and myself, so that my life is balanced. I want to rest and maintain my health instead of “plowing” a lot to make money quickly.
That’s why right from the moment I looked for a job, I clearly determined that I only wanted to work at the clinic during office hours. And the lucky thing is that the family doctor specialty in America gives me the opportunity to live such a life.
When I was looking for a job, there were many choices – working in a clinic, working in a clinic and hospital, working in an emergency department, working in the city, working in the suburbs, etc. You have to say what kind of life and job you want, you will definitely get a job!
My friends, there are also people who follow the same path as me to become a clinic. Some people choose to be a complete hospital – on duty 7 days and 7 days off. Some people choose to work as a hospital, provide emergency care, and deliver babies.
Each such job option will naturally come with different salaries and benefits. Of course, the more you work and the more responsibility you have, the higher your salary and benefits will be.
Myself, after many years of working, I am still very satisfied and satisfied with my choice. I can work my professional job, spend time with my two growing children, and have time for myself. Every week I only work office hours, and on weekends, holidays, and Tet, I absolutely do not need to go to work or be on duty.
When becoming an official doctor, although the workload and working hours are greatly reduced, the doctor’s income skyrockets, from ~ 65,000 USD up to 250,000 USD+ (starting salary) per year, depending on the specialty.
This is a salary 4-5 times the average income of an American and is among the top occupations with the highest income in America. Not to mention, if you work as a specialist or work overtime or work for a long time, the salary is much higher.
Besides, you will also enjoy extremely better benefits such as comprehensive health insurance, retirement fund, 4-5 weeks of vacation per year, sponsorship opportunity to get a green card and citizenship… Details of salary, bonus and benefits for doctors I have mentioned it in previous articles, you can refer to here.
This is an extremely worthy reward. worth it for you after the hard years of medical school and residency programs.
Up to now, I am extremely satisfied with the job I have chosen and pursued. In addition to high salary and full benefits, I also have many opportunities for advancement and development at work.
For example, after a period of working, I was fortunate to be appointed leader of the clinic. In addition, my company also provides me with many opportunities to participate in coaching courses and leadership skills development programs. The company’s leaders are also very keen to listen and acknowledge the contributions from doctors.
3. Pressure and stress
If during residency, your pressure mainly comes from workload, lack of rest time and the need to prove your ability and compete with colleagues, then when you become an official doctor, the pressure now mainly comes from responsibility to patients and the risk of lawsuits if errors occur.
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Of course, doctors must always be careful in every decision, especially when facing difficult cases with no one to consult. However, during the harsh training process, you will gain knowledge, experience and learn how to control stress to complete the job. The same goes for other aspects such as communicating with patients or working with paperwork and insurance. After the residency training period, doctors have had a lot of experience to master these tasks, and are also familiar with the way of working.
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Looking back at my journey of nearly 10 years working in the medical field in the US, I realize that each stage has its own difficulties and values.
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Residency training is a challenging time but also an extremely important foundation for each doctor’s career. When you become an official doctor, although there are no more hardships, you have more freedom, and enjoy more benefits, you also have to face greater responsibilities.
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The change between these two periods is not only a step forward in career, but also a journey of growth both professionally and personally.
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And to answer the question above, “So after completing residency, will it be less difficult for doctors in the US?” I have to admit that after residency, life as a doctor will definitely be less difficult.
Of course, with a job, there will always be challenges, but the important thing is that you have a lot of freedom to choose a job that suits your lifestyle, priorities, and values, without being constrained by the regulations of the residency training program.
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Hope that my sharing today will be useful for your journey to conquer your dream of becoming a doctor in America.
Please comment “yes” if you like the article!
Dr. Christina Nguyen
The Phoenix Medical Academy
