Surgeons are often lured to practice in rural areas for large initial sums of money.
A typical package can be as high as a $350,000 salary, guaranteed for 3 years, along with a large signing bonus.
But long term, the prospects aren’t as rosy says Jeffrey Parks. First off, rural surgeons may perform procedures that they may not be trained in, such “setting minor fractures, hysterectomies, and ceasarean sections.”
Furthermore, a rural patient population may not be enough to sustain the initial income. Estimating “5 or 6 cases a week,” some may see that $350,000 drop 50 percent or more, while working a demanding schedule that a rural practice calls for.
Keeping all this in mind, Dr. Parks urges caution when considering operating in the country.
