Private practice vs. public hospitals: Where should you work?
It's a debate almost every medical professional goes through in their career: Should I work in a private practice or the public sector? As with most things in life, there is no cut-and-dry answer here. Every doctor will have their own preference based on their preferred working style.
However, for those jobseekers looking to make a decision it helps to understand the pros and cons of each kind of working environment.
Private practice: Pros and cons
Professionals that choose to work in a private setting enjoy some distinct benefits when it comes to salary, flexibility and clientele.
The financial aspect is the first, and perhaps most straightforward, advantage. Patients pay more for private practice work, period. As such, professionals in the private sphere enjoy higher paychecks, often with a smaller workload.
Professionals that choose to work in a private setting enjoy some distinct benefits when it comes to salary, flexibility and clientele.
Private practice medical professionals also have more flexibility with their day-to-day schedule. They are allowed to choose which patients they take on and have control over the number of bookings made on any given day. This allows a better level of control over work-life balance.
Generally speaking, private practice professionals have more continuity of care with patients as they are clients that seek out care of their own accord. Public sector doctors deal with many more patients suffering from drug addictions and other serious afflictions that can result in a lack of commitment to holding appointments unless mandated.
But the advantages also play into the cons of private practice work. While you do have autonomy with your patients, it also means you are lacking the wider hospital support that those in the public sector can call on. There are plenty of patients that require a multi-layered approach to care and in private practices the help of other departments isn't as readily available as it is in the public sector.
While your day-to-day flexibility in the private sector is a major advantage, flexibility does become more difficult when it comes to booking longer holidays. For starters, there are fewer colleagues to cover shifts in the private sphere. Beyond that, private practice doctors usually have patients that are much more dependent on booking appointments with them specifically. This means planning long holidays far in advance to accommodate scheduling.
Perhaps the biggest downside to private practice work is the lack of opportunities to conduct research or teach junior doctors. In public hospitals these chances present themselves on a fairly regular basis, whereas private practice professionals would most likely have to seek out opportunities outside of their own practice.
Working in the private sector is certainly a trade-off. There is money to be made, more control of your day-to-day schedule and patient list as well as a bit more continuity in care. However, the work is balanced out by a less accessible network and fewer research or teaching opportunities.
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Public hospitals: Pros and cons
Professionals that sign on for public sector work are entering a fast-paced environment. Unsurprisingly, this is where a lot of the positive and negatives stem from.
Professionals that sign on for public sector work are entering a fast-paced environment.
On the up-side you are afforded a lot more learning opportunities. Public hospitals provide you with the resources and network you need to conduct research with colleagues. These facilities also open up options for teaching opportunities. Beyond this, you have the room to grow into new roles that may not be available in private practices – such as management and leadership positions.
Public hospitals allow you to pull on the resources around you when treating your patients – as many departments exist under one roof. This means that, unlike private practice workers, knowledge outside of your speciality is nearly always available from other medical professionals. These roles are also on fixed salaries so no matter how slow (or how busy) a given day is, you are paid a fixed amount.
As for the cons, a lot of these issues stem from the amount of work. Unlike in private practices, public professionals are never allowed to turn away patients and can often have daily schedules that are booked pretty tightly. This is often a cause of burnout for doctors, as there are a lot of patients to see in a short time frame on any given day.
There is also a lot of paperwork associated with public work. Public sector doctors are often asked to write up medical reports for legal reasons, as many people with pending convictions have gone through a public sector doctor.
It's a give and take in the public realm, while there is a lot to be done there is a also a lot to be learned for those willing to take on the challenge.
How can I make a decision?
Ultimately, professionals should choose the environment that best fits their needs. If you are looking for a fast-paced environment with a wider medical community and research options available to you then the public sector may be the best fit for you. If you're someone that wants to focus on a few patients at a time and maintain sole responsibility over their care, private practices could be your calling.
Whatever sector you chose to work in, Careers Connections can help you find the perfect placement. Whether it's a permanent position or a locum assignment, we have an extensive network of hospitals across Australia looking for dedicated medical professionals. To learn more about how to begin your search, reach out to one of our team members at Careers Connections!
