Primary care salary

[ss345]

I am a new grad, and I just got an offer for Primary Care from one of the big hospitals in MA. I was offered a base salary of 94,000. The work is 8 hour days with max 16 pts per day - no on calls, weekends or nights. I am just curious as to whether this is a good salary?

[EMEDPA]

Your first job should be about learning, so the better question is will they train you well. I can't comment on the salary as I work in EM, but 30 min appts 8 hrs/day sounds awesome. 

Hope they also cover cme, health care, licenses, etc

[rev ronin]

It's probably an OK salary, but the limits of 16 patients per day is a valuable thing, especially when you're starting out.  I started in family med at $85K 10 years ago

[ss345]

8 hours ago, EMEDPA said:

Your first job should be about learning, so the better question is will they train you well. I can't comment on the salary as I work in EM, but 30 min appts 8 hrs/day sounds awesome. 

Hope they also cover cme, health care, licenses, etc

Yes!!! They are great at training from all the feedback I have received from other PAs there. 

[Febrifuge]

I did 30min appts 8 hours a day in primary care, in the Minneapolis/ St Paul area. In 2021 the salary was $135-138k. That’s with 10+ years of experience. 

Edited June 11, 2022 by Febrifuge
numbers are hard

[Reality Check 2]

As a new grad that is a great schedule, I hope it is the real ongoing schedule. That type of rationality is rarely seen in practice.

You said base salary - is there an RVU or profit sharing plan? Reviews at 90 days, 6 months and one year? Plan for increase in salary?

Does the increase in salary come with more expectations of patients per day?

Do you have on sight direct collaboration/mentoring - another PA?

How many PAs do they have? What is the turnover rate? Why did any leave?

Do they have PA organization/leadership?

Do they cover CME, licensure, DEA (that is HUGE), memberships, etc? What type of benefits such as insurance?

It is daunting but you have to ask ALL the questions and know as best you can if this will be the right place for you.

If ANY practice won't let you talk to folks who work there now or even worked there before - RUN. 

[ss345]

Thank you everyone for all the feedback!!!!

 

[ventana]

5 day work week??

 

16 x 5 = 80 pats/week

$100 patient revenue is $8000 per week in receipts. 
44 weeks a year is $352,000

You are getting 25% of receipts 

welcome to being a profit center for hospitals and support your physicians salary. 
 

16 a day in pcp as new grad is literally twice to much 

0-3 months 6-8 per day

4-6 M 10 per day

7-9m 12

10-2 m 14

1 yr plus 16

 

you will drown and burn out at 16 a day for full primary care 

[rev ronin]

1 hour ago, ventana said:

you will drown and burn out at 16 a day for full primary care 

It depends.  I was seeing that many at three months, but Group Health was a very supportive system where I could refer anything I wanted within the system, see specialist notes in the same EMR, send consults via EMR email, etc.  I had Peds, IM, Derm, OB/GYN, Psych, urgent care, Ortho, Occ med, lab, pharmacy, radiology, PT, social work, (and a few other specialties that are slipping my mind) all in my same building. I was NOT an independent practitioner, but I was doing the simple things right, and helping do the simple stuff in a complex system.  If the OP has anything like my system... it could work like my first job did.

I completely agree that if you're it and thrown to the wolves as far as getting consults or help, 16 a day is too much.

[ss345]

Thanks. From what I know it is something like Rev Ronin described. I also get to ramp up slowly, but they probably expect us to be at 16 patients per day at 3-4 months. 

[sas5814]

There's more to it than salary. PTO. CME. Malpractice insurance. Paid holidays. Work/life balance. Health insurance. Dental insurance. Disability. Tail coverage if you leave. 401K or other investment match? Will there be call? (That is huge in my opinion. I HATE call.)

All these things amount to money.

So whether this is good or bad depends on a lot of things including what is valuable to you. I have 33 years experience and make $141k. I could make more somewhere else but work/life balance is my thing these days and , if I took all my PTO, paid holidays, and sick days I'd have 52 days a year off. I also have a great benefit package. My day is 8 to 4:30 5 days a week. No weekends. No call.

The days and the patients can be very challenging but its worth it to me.

So you have to calculate if this meets most of your wants.

[PAMalignantHeme]

I cannot accept a salary under 100k for the practice of medicine. The liability, pressure, significance of your work ....   How can there be a shortage when they can get people to take positions in the 90's for such highly skilled work. Do you realize people who make web sites and trade stocks start off >100k ? While no doubt those people have great skill and work hard ... they also do not have peoples lives in their hand, didn't spend the time/money in medical training. I would go back and request 100k and make sure you have clear understanding of benefits (they better be good). My guess is this place averages 2-3 years for each PA/NP hire because of low compensation and it costs them more in the end.