I don't know how fast you guys sign out, but this is not sustainable
long term for 2 pathologists. That's 7500 surgicals per year for each pathologist. Plus, as New England said, ROSE, frozens, tumor conferences, other admin/CP meetings.
There are 3 big X-factors:
1. If there's a PA. Even with [a PA] it's still unsustainable long term. If there is no PA, forget about it...
2. Case mix. If it's just GI bx's or derm at a POD lab, then it can be done with a PA. I don't know the case mix at this place, but from my estimate, even a medium-sized community-based hospital with 15K surgicals is going to have its fair share of big cases/cancer resections.
3. Vacation: Assuming you and your other partner take 6+ weeks off, you're going to sign out the equivalent of 15K surgicals for those six weeks (or more). Sure, all this is possible if you wanna work 60+ hrs a week and make 800K, but that kind of lifestyle is a recipe for burnout...
From my experience of either working at or interviewing at several small to mid-sized community hospitals (Midwest & mid-Atlantic region), here's a small sample size of volume and coverage to give a breakdown:
1) Hospital A: 9500 surgicals/yr, 2 pathologists, no PA, tech grossing smalls, private practice (pp) (moderately busy, worked about 8:00 - 4:30)
2) Hospital B: 6K, 2 paths, pp, no PA (these guys worked from about 9-4:30, part of an 8 person group covering other hospitals)
3) Hospital C: 16K, 4 paths, PA, pp (average schedule i.e. 9-5)
4) Hospital D: 6K, 2 paths, PA, pp (this was cush)
5) Hospital E: 13-16K, 4 paths, PA, hospital employed (I think they started around 7:30 to 8 until 4-5)
6) Hospital F: 9K, 2 paths, tech grosses smalls, pp (8:30-5)
7) Hospital G: 10K, 2 paths, hospital employed. No PA initially, after they got one, the pathologist literally told me it was a "godsend"
8) Hospital H: 7-7.5K, 1 path, pp, not sure about PA or his schedule. He was making a killing doing solo path (~$800K) and was able to do this briefly; but, guess what...he got burnt out after a couple of years and eventually hired a part-time pathologist to help.
There are many others, but they all fall within the above range. On average, for hospital-based pathology these places were doing anywhere from 3K to 5K surgicals/yr per pathologist i.e. not anywhere close to the 7500/yr. I've
never seen a hospital (not POD lab) with 15K surgicals/yr covered
long term by 2 pathologists. It just ain't happenin' folks, unless you're signing out everything as 'benign' or 'malignant'...