Dr. Eric Bricker Teaches Physicians How to Reclaim Their Negotiating Power

Hello, and welcome to On/Offcall

Week 1, check! Thanks for signing up for our newsletter. Each week, I’ll share my own perspective on the biggest topics in healthcare, along with a roundup of some of the best content from Offcall and across the internet.

“Providers – not insurance companies – are the primary drivers of high health care costs.” This week, I responded to a recent Vox article by sharing how little most people actually understand about physician compensation:

- Average medical school debt of $234,000
- Residents work 80-hour weeks while earning $60,000-$80,000 per year
- Medicare payment rates have declined by 22% from 2001 to 2021
- No transparency from employers about salaries and compensation structures

Is it any surprise that many of us are questioning our career choice? It’s time to make it less taboo to talk about these topics openly. [Shareable link here]

Graham Walker, MD, Emergency Physician
Co-founder, Offcall

This week on our podcast, How I Doctor

This week on How I Doctor, Graham spoke with Dr. Eric Bricker about some of the hottest topics in healthcare finance. Our favorite quote? “Physicians are basically lied to by insurance companies and administrators. If you actually understood how the money works, then a physician would be much less easily manipulated.”

Listen to the episode here →

Best of Offcall

I Moved From Academic Medicine to Private Practice — Here’s My Most Surprising Challenge →

Communication among speciality practices is failing. How can we fix this? Op-ed from Dr. Basil Kahwash.

How to Choose a Financial Adviser: What Physicians Need to Know →

Here’s what to consider as you research options, featuring financial adviser interviews and case studies.

Introducing Offcall: A New Financial Platform for Physicians →

ICYMI, Graham’s letter explains how Offcall will improve physicians’ lives and careers.

What We’re Reading

The Business Case for Investing in Physician Well-Being →
The organizational cost to losing a physician due to burnout is $500,000 - $1,000,000 per physician, and that’s just scratching the surface. A must-read study from JAMA Network.

People Who’ve Gone to Medical School Are Not Practicing Medicine →
Rep. Greg Murphy, MD, co-chair of the House GOP Doctors Caucus, told Medical Economics, “I think we have to have a real serious conversation about the physician workforce. The people who’ve gone to medical school are not practicing medicine.”

Why Physicians Are Unhappy With Their Employment →
Ten insights on why physicians are unhappy with their employment, from recent students and surveys via Becker’s ASC Review.

Offcall Community Highlights

🩺 Most Influential People in Healthcare: Dr. Shiv Rao
Join us in celebrating Dr. Shiv Rao, CEO of Abridge and friend of Offcall, who was named by Modern Healthcare as one of the most influential people (paywall) in healthcare for 2024.

⚕️ Career Update: Dr. Basil Kahwash
Dr. Basil Kahwash recently graduated with a Master of Management in Health Care (MMHC) from Vanderbilt University. Congratulations!

🎉 Top 10 LinkedIn Voices for Healthcare: Our Very Own Dr. Graham Walker
Graham was recently cited by health tech founder Mendel Erlenwein as one of the Top 10 LinkedIn leaders for healthcare!

⚕️ Upcoming Podcast with Dr. Glaucomflecken
Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Dr. Will Flanary, aka Dr. Glaucomflecken, on How I Doctor next week! Subscribe on your podcast platform of choice to get notified when the episode drops.

Did Someone Share On/Offcall With You?

Thanks for reading! Each week, we give you the latest news, information, financial and career tips, and a dose of inspiration delivered to your inbox. Join our growing physician community by subscribing. Be sure to forward this newsletter to your physician colleagues and friends!

Subscribe

Sign Up for Offcall

On/Offcall is a newsletter brought to you by Offcall, a new platform built by physicians to improve the wealth and wellbeing of physicians. We're building the most accurate physician salary database so doctors can benchmark compensation for clinical jobs and consulting opportunities. It's 100% anonymous, confidential, physician-only, and free to sign up.

Learn more and sign up (takes 2 mins) here.