Fellowship salaries???

[ud_grad]

DH and I are trying to plan the ideal time to have future children, but alot will depend on his salary (2-3 kids in daycare is $$$!!). I can count on a 3% increase/year, but I have NO IDEA what a fellowship salary would be.

He is in general surgery now, but I'm not positive what he would specialize in. I know he had a fondness for transplants so that is probably the most likely contender.

If anyone would be so open as to share what type of salary to expect, that would be great! If not a dollar amount, perhaps something like X% more than residency (don't worry, I'm not expecting much!!).

[SuzySunshine]

My husband hasn't gotten there yet and it will vary by program but here it is based on your year regardless of the specialty. i.e. if your residency was four years you'd be a PGY-5 as a fellow and so that is the salary you get.

http://www.mayo.edu/msgme/benefits.html

So here DH ends residency as a PGY-7, if he did fellowship here he'd get the PGY-8 salary, which is a 3% annual increase.

[Vanquisher]

It may be less than residency. It totally depends on where you go. Generally, it is approximately a PGY-6 equivalency, but that totally depends on the program you are coming from and where you are going.

For us, no matter what fellowship we do, we will almost positively take a pay cut, and some places would be as much as a 30% pay cut, and I am not exaggerating.

[SuzySunshine]

I agree with Heidi, so one thing to do might be look at the program you're interested in and see if you can get a residency salary chart like I posted for Mayo, figure out what year you'd be and go from there. Sometimes fellowships may not be as keen on releasing salaries but residencies usually don't care since you match there instead of being interviewed/selected.

[Vanquisher]

I went to FREIDA online and looked up gen surg fellowships, and the highest was 63K in NYC, and the lowest was 40K in Houston. Not all programs or positions are listed, however, and of those that are listed not all give salary info.

There is clearly a large discrepancy.

Re: Fellowship salaries???

I know he had a fondness for transplants so that is probably the most likely contender.

Not to be negative ... but if it's only a "fondness" for transplants, I'd be steering him away for sure.

Heidi and Cheri are right on as far as salary info.

[ud_grad]

UGH. So not what I wanted to hear! My dream would be to be a SAHM for some time at some point and we hope to have 3-4 kids. I guess I won't be staying at home with them until they go to high school!

As for the transplant thing - it's the only thing so far that he really gets pumped up about. He comes home tired, but in a good mood. DH is weird like this though, he will keep things very close to the cuff and not talk about what he wants to do until he is positive. I suppose it's so I don't tell the world and then have to tell them the change of plans if he changes his mind. He was like this when deciding about residency too. It's just his way of doing things I guess, but we've been together for 11 years so I've learned to read the signs rather than wait for him to verbalize his intentions and the signs are pointing to transplants.

Care to elaborate why I should be discouraging of transplants? It is just the hours and unpredictibility? I suppose these are questions for a different board on this forum.

Thanks so much for all the input and links above!

Care to elaborate why I should be discouraging of transplants? It is just the hours and unpredictibility? I suppose these are questions for a different board on this forum.

Flynn? Heidi?

[ud_grad]

Sorry if they are dumb or obvious questions. I really don't know anyone who has gone through any of this IRL, so I've just been taking it all as it comes. Apparently it never really comes easier either, each year just adds more difficulties. Having the baby has made things 10x harder.

[Vanquisher]

Sorry if they are dumb or obvious questions. I really don't know anyone who has gone through any of this IRL, so I've just been taking it all as it comes. Apparently it never really comes easier either, each year just adds more difficulties. Having the baby has made things 10x harder.

It is not a dumb question. Not at all. Just read the site and read some more. Yes, fellowship is very difficult, and I can't imagine that transplant is ever going to be cushy in any sense of the word. I don't have any firsthand experience with transplant though.

I will just tell you that if you stick around and post more often and gain access to the private forums (The Call Room), it will be easier to answer your question in depth and for you to find the answers you are looking for.

[Flynn]

Care to elaborate why I should be discouraging of transplants? It is just the hours and unpredictibility? I suppose these are questions for a different board on this forum.

Flynn? Heidi?

Hmmmm. First, welcome. It's great to add new blood to this site!!!!!!! Asking questions is smart - -- NEVER dumb. Really!!!!!

My DH did his CT surgery fellowship recently and the ONLY reason I ever saw him was that there were no transplants. One of the REQUIREMENTS we both had (thank goodness) for his first real job is that there be NO TRANSPLANTS as part of his job. The word "transplant" still makes my DD's eyes fly open --- "DADDY DOESN'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT?" even if we are just talking about a case in his past. If our almost 5 year old remembers the word with fear....I won't even go into my feelings.

I think it depends a little on if you want to study "transplants" or do transplants as part of a different speciality. However, they both are incredibly unpredictable AND the hours are LONG LONG LONG.

Feel free to PM me if you want me to get specific.
My DH did 5 years of GS, some lab time, and a fellowship so I've (unfortunately ) BTDT!

[Flynn]

I went to FREIDA online and looked up gen surg fellowships, and the highest was 63K in NYC, and the lowest was 40K in Houston. Not all programs or positions are listed, however, and of those that are listed not all give salary info.

There is clearly a large discrepancy.

I am pretty sure we got paid as a PGY 7 (the most we could at this particular program)...which was barely into the 40s.

[Flynn]

Sorry if they are dumb or obvious questions. I really don't know anyone who has gone through any of this IRL, so I've just been taking it all as it comes. Apparently it never really comes easier either, each year just adds more difficulties. Having the baby has made things 10x harder.

It is not a dumb question. Not at all. Just read the site and read some more. Yes, fellowship is very difficult, and I can't imagine that transplant is ever going to be cushy in any sense of the word. I don't have any firsthand experience with transplant though.

I will just tell you that if you stick around and post more often and gain access to the private forums (The Call Room), it will be easier to answer your question in depth and for you to find the answers you are looking for.

You are sooo diplomatic with this answer! My hat is off to you!

When I read "interested in transplants" I LOL with a huge sarcastic gaffaw! It was VERY attractive!!!!

[houseelf]

Ah, late chiming in here, but Welcome.

I'm just going to say to that it would be very beneficial to really research that whole transplant decision as much as you possibly can. It has a nasty reputation for hours, both in fellowship and afterwards.

Stick around and post a lot...there is plenty of information to be gleaned here.

Kelly

Sorry if they are dumb or obvious questions. I really don't know anyone who has gone through any of this IRL, so I've just been taking it all as it comes. Apparently it never really comes easier either, each year just adds more difficulties. Having the baby has made things 10x harder.

Sorry. I'm a troll. I shouldn't have laughed ... it just struck me as funny.