Exploring Urgent Care Medicine as a Second Career
As emergency department visits have increased year to year, the demands faced by Emergency Medicine physicians have become more difficult to handle. Simultaneously, an ongoing physician shortage means fewer healthcare providers are being forced to cope with greater patient demand. That is a formula for burnout, so it is no wonder an increasing number of Emergency Department physicians are considering a shift to the quickly expanding field of Urgent Care medicine.
There are more than 20,000 Urgent Care physicians and more than 9,000 Urgent Care clinics in the United States. These numbers have increased substantially over the past 10 years, and while many of these new Urgent Care practitioners come from Family Practice, it makes sense for Emergency Department physicians to shift to a similar field of practice. A physician at a “walk-in” clinic is tasked with treating a wide range of non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries, which naturally creates a less-stressful working environment. It is not only about finding a more reasonable work schedule, however. The expansion of Urgent Care Medicine as a specialty also has brought about greater career security for thousands of physicians during this time of transition in the American healthcare system.
If you are an Emergency Medicine physician or another type of specialist considering a career shift into Urgent Care Medicine, it is in your interest to explore the benefits of becoming board certified through the Board of Certification in Urgent Care Medicine. This member board of the American Board of Physician Specialties® allows qualified physicians to demonstrate their skill and knowledge in the core competencies required to provide the best available treatment in Urgent Care. To learn more, contact the ABPS.
The ABPS is the official multi-specialty board certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.