Hospital or private practice?

[chen7389]

hi, Melanie:
I also have this feeling sometimes. I am just a recent graduate, but I graduated at age of 36, so I guess I have to choose my career more carefully than younger colleages.
For me, the hospital job is like a "job", a good "job" more or less: secured income, benefits, or maybe able to have career pathway of going to manager level...On the other hand, private practice is more like a "career", an unpredictable career, there is so much to learn ahead of you. Challenges, joy, or frustration...and chance being your own boss!
I have been working at private practice since I grudated, and I will continue working at private setting. that is where my passion is.
Good luck for finding your choice.

Hi there,

I hope to get some opinions from fellow physio's around the globe as I have been wondering about the next step in my career. In the end, I know, the decision is mine but I'd like to know why you actually ended up in the field where you are currently working.

I have been a physio for about 7 years now, I was trained in Germany and the Netherlands and have worked in Germany, NZ and Australia. During my career, I had the chance of working in different settings (mostly private practice, but also inpatient rehab, orthopaedics and general hospital work). At the moment, I work in Germany, but plan to return to Australia this year.

The thing is, I am a bit undecided where to settle professionally: Private practice or hospital? In the end, I know, the decision is up to me but I'd love to have your input.

I tried to think of pro's and con's of both settings:

Private practice pro's:
- Interesting clientele (e.g. sports injuries), usually more motivated than "hospital patients"
- Varied caseload (from children to older people, all sorts of musculoskeletal problems)
- Potential for earning a bit more

Private practice con's:
- More stress (frequent 20 minutes consultations, no extra time given for e.g. note writing, letters/calls to doctors etc)
- no/less interdisciplinary exchange, more isolated
- tiring for your hands sometimes (if you do a lot of manual therapy/soft tissue work)

Hospital pro's:
- less stressful, more time allocated for team meetings, inservices, documentation etc.
- working within a multidisciplinary team

Hospital con's:
- you might only work in one area, less variety (unless you work in small rural hospitals where you might be doing mixed work)
- sometimes the work is a bit boring/mundane (depending where you work of course, but often - I'm exagerrating a bit - you just walk people...)

So, my question is: Why do you work where you work? Which aspects of your work do you like? Would you consider a change - and if yes, for which reasons?
I am quite curious to hear your opinions!

Melanie

[Fyzzio]

Hi Melanie,
here's a different thought:
Community

I think it incorporates the best of both worlds.
regards,
Fyzzio

[ophqui]

Hi Melanie,
here's a different thought:
Community

I think it incorporates the best of both worlds.
regards,
Fyzzio

Yuck, worst of all worlds for me. Im currently working in private practice and for me the worst thing about it is the lack of exposure to other therapists. Especially as i graduated relatively recently, i think you have to be twice as on the ball with your reading etc to keep developing when i only have training with other therapists once weekly, as opposed to the constant discussion and advice you can get working in a large team in a hospital

[Fyzzio]

... you might have overlooked that Melanie is 7 years post-graduate.

At that stage you are a "fully grown" Physio and very capable of looking after yourself.

Contrary to you, I have never worked so close in a team as in Community. Maybe it is due to the need of personal contact which the "forced" isolation causes. But I talk more and in more depth to my colleagues (including colleagues from other disciplines) than I ever did in hospital with 20 other Physios and a huge MDT around.

Regards,
Fyzzio