Six spine surgeons discuss the number of hours they work per week. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: How will the individual mandate impact patient volume at spine practices?
Please send responses to Laura Miller at laura@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, June 20 at 5pm CST.
Rajesh Arakal, MD, Spine Surgeon (Texas Back Institute, Plano): 54 hours per week.
Dennis Crandall, MD, Founder and Medical Director of Sonoran Spine Center, Mesa, Ariz.: Sixty hours of clinical work on average each week. This extends to 70 hours most weeks depending on teaching, consulting and clinical research activities.
Jaideep Chunduri, MD, Spine Surgeon, Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Cincinnati: Excluding call and any consulting work that I do, I work an a 55-65 hours a week seeing patients in the office, going through paperwork, performing surgeries, rounding in the hospital. Above and beyond the normal duties, I share spine call two weeks out of every month which means being available 24/7 for consults and patient calls. In addition, I am involved with the Beacon Education and Research Foundation which is responsible for a sports medicine fellowship as well as a teaching lab. This does not include any business meetings related to our practice.
Richard Kube, MD, Founder & CEO, Prairie Spine and Pain Institute, Peoria, Ill.: I typically work 80-90 hours each week. Fifty-60 hours or so are spent as a clinician with five or so on research and the remaining are spent as the Owner/Medical Director/Business Leader of our practice.
Michael Steinmetz, MD, Chairman of Neurosciences & Medical Director of the Spine Center, MetroHealth System, Cleveland: Most of the time is spent performing surgery. Technology, especially the electronic medical record, has allowed surgeons to streamline charting, paperwork and research interests.
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Please send responses to Laura Miller at laura@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, June 20 at 5pm CST.
Q: How many hours do you spend working per week?
Rajesh Arakal, MD, Spine Surgeon (Texas Back Institute, Plano): 54 hours per week.
Dennis Crandall, MD, Founder and Medical Director of Sonoran Spine Center, Mesa, Ariz.: Sixty hours of clinical work on average each week. This extends to 70 hours most weeks depending on teaching, consulting and clinical research activities.
Jaideep Chunduri, MD, Spine Surgeon, Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Cincinnati: Excluding call and any consulting work that I do, I work an a 55-65 hours a week seeing patients in the office, going through paperwork, performing surgeries, rounding in the hospital. Above and beyond the normal duties, I share spine call two weeks out of every month which means being available 24/7 for consults and patient calls. In addition, I am involved with the Beacon Education and Research Foundation which is responsible for a sports medicine fellowship as well as a teaching lab. This does not include any business meetings related to our practice.
Michael Gleiber, MD, Founder, Michael A. Gleiber, MD, PA, Jupiter, Fla.: I work 80 hrs/wk. Most of the time is in surgery, followed by seeing patients in Jupiter and Boca Raton. The last amount of time allotted for in my schedule is for clinical research and the development of new spinal technologies to make minimally invasive spine surgery safer.
Richard Kube, MD, Founder & CEO, Prairie Spine and Pain Institute, Peoria, Ill.: I typically work 80-90 hours each week. Fifty-60 hours or so are spent as a clinician with five or so on research and the remaining are spent as the Owner/Medical Director/Business Leader of our practice.
Michael Steinmetz, MD, Chairman of Neurosciences & Medical Director of the Spine Center, MetroHealth System, Cleveland: Most of the time is spent performing surgery. Technology, especially the electronic medical record, has allowed surgeons to streamline charting, paperwork and research interests.
More Articles on Spine Surgery:
5 Spine Surgeons on the Biggest Challenges in Spine Surgery Today
21 Spine Surgeon Leaders for Non-Profit Hospitals
7 Spine Surgeons on Implant Reps in the Operating Room