Last updated: July 6, 2025
Emergency Medicine Lifestyle & Career Insights
Discover what it's really like to be a Emergency Medicine physician. Real insights from practicing doctors about work-life balance, career satisfaction, and daily life in this specialty.
3.6/5
Average Satisfaction
5
Real Physician Insights
What Emergency Medicine Physicians Love About Their Specialty
Based on insights from physicians who would choose Emergency Medicine again:
"Variety"
- Emergency Medicine Physician
"Variety, staff, sick patients, procedures"
- Emergency Medicine Physician
"Being front lines of medicine, often first to make a diagnosis. I thrive on critical patients, trauma, and procedures, even after several years out from residency."
- Emergency Medicine Physician
Areas for Improvement in Emergency Medicine
Honest feedback from physicians about challenges in the specialty:
"Getting paid more. Don't ever take a low wage. You went through residency to become an expert in your field, get paid for it."
- Emergency Medicine Physician
Work-Life Balance in Emergency Medicine
Real descriptions of daily life and work-life balance from practicing Emergency Medicine physicians:
"If you work for a big group, you can trade off any days you want. If you work for a small shop, it's tough to get the days you need."
- Emergency Medicine Physician
"I work 7-9 nights a month (12 hour shifts) with EM residents @280/hr. Then 4-5 24 hour shifts in a row at a hospital with midlevel crossover during the day and midlevel coverage overnight. In the ER 8a-8p and rarely get called in at night. @ 4600/24hr. Able to increase or cut back my schedule whenever. Great group. Typically receive a bonus of 3-6% of yearly earnings. Great benefits."
- Emergency Medicine Physician
"5- 12 hours shift per week. Sometimes 6 shifts."
- Emergency Medicine Physician
"Only work half the month"
- Emergency Medicine Physician
"Shift work allows for a fair amount of days off, but frequently have to miss family events, sports games, etc because I'm often working evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, etc. Flip-flopping schedule from nights to days and back is like having constant jet lag."
- Emergency Medicine Physician
Making the Right Career Decision
These insights come from real Emergency Medicine physicians who've shared their experiences anonymously.
80% of Emergency Medicine physicians in our database say they would choose this specialty again,
with an average satisfaction rating of 3.6 out of 5.
Consider these factors when deciding if Emergency Medicine is right for you:
- Career Satisfaction: 3.6/5 average rating from practicing physicians
- Work-Life Balance: Varies significantly based on practice setting and subspecialty
- Compensation: Median salary of $415,000
- Long-term Outlook: 80% would choose this specialty again
Help Future Physicians Make Informed Decisions
Share your Emergency Medicine experience anonymously and help build the most comprehensive physician lifestyle database.
Share Your Experience