from residency to micropractice?

[Guest guest]

Greetings friends,

I am a second-year fam med resident interested in solo/micro. I notice

most folk here spent a lot of years in some kind of group practice

before changing. Do you think this is necessary?

Somebody observed that veterinarians don't do this - they typically

solo or partner. Others have opined that it depends on the area in

which you want to practice - in some spots, starting out solo could be

disastrous - I sure don't want a disaster.

My primary yen is to take care of poor people, and I have a special

interest in teen moms. But I love the older folk too. I'll have a

solid grounding in obstetrics and midwifery when I'm done (I LOVE my

residency program) - with a minor in behavioral med (a specialty track

- I'm actually dual maternity and psych). I'm more of a chronic than

an acute type of practitioner.

Everything I've learned about large group and multispecialty

practices, with their productivity requirements and no-competition

rules, sounds awful. I would probably be happiest doing housecalls -

or seeing people in the parlor. I tend to take a long time with

patients. I give them my pager number and they don't abuse it (duh).

My own kids are grown, and I actually can go pretty much anywhere I

want when school's out. I live in Milwaukee. I'm most comfortable in

small cities. I'd prefer to send patients to hospitalists and/or

teaching services (I like knowing inpatients are looked after by

someone who's there all day/night). I'm computer and web savvy. I

don't care how much money I make - I don't even have cable.

Suggestions?

Best way to start from residency?

Best way to prepare, during residency?

Hospital privileges in brand new locations: hard, or easy?

How do you find out how friendly an area is to family docs?

How do you find out whether it would be disastrous to try to start

micro in a particular place?

Paying off those amazing student loans while micro or semi?

Timing for starting a job hunt/ relocation hunt?

Pitfalls? Mistakes?

Thanks.

Leigh Saint-Louis MD

Columbia St. 's Family Medicine

Milwaukee, WI