ABSTRACT
Prevalence of private practice endocrinology is rising in the United States, with 30.9% of the applicants for the 2003 pediatric endocrine board certification exam indicating involvement with private practice (1). This is up from 19.3% for those registered for the 1992 exam. Of those taking the 2003 exam, 10.3% were full-time subspecialty physicians in private practice (up from 4.1% in 1992), 7.4% were in a part-time subspecialty and part-time general pediatrics (down from 11.1% in 1992), and 13.2% were full-time subspecialty, partly in private practice and partly in an academic setting (up from 4.1% in 1992). However, these statistics do not account for pediatric endocrinologists who have shifted their time and effort to a full-time practice of the specialty after attaining the board certification, nor do they account for full-time academic colleagues engaged in direct patient care as their principal activity. This chapter attempts to assist and encourage those considering private practice, as well as to offer some guidance from my own experience. Hopefully, some of these factors will benefit those in academic medicine, much of which is changing to become increasingly like private practice with the same concerns about patient issues, reimbursement, and contracting.
