The Pros & Cons of Private Practice vs. Public Hospitals

A common debate for most medical professionals throughout their careers, whether they should work in private practice or in the public sector. As every doctor has their own personal preference, likes, dislikes and goals, there is no simple answer. Depending on your preferred style of working, both private and public placements have pros and cons.

To make the decision more straightforward, doctors should consider some of the following pros and cons of both types of working environments. 

 

Private Practice

Professionals working in a private practice setting often enjoy some distinct benefits, particularly when it comes to salary, flexibility and patient clientele. 

The Pros of Private Practice

The financial aspects of private practice are usually the most straightforward and obvious advantage. To put it basically, patients pay more for private practice doctors and specialists. Therefore, the professionals that work in this private setting generally enjoy higher salaries, often with a smaller and more balanced workload.

Private practice also allows for more flexibility with doctors day to day schedules. Private practice allows doctors to choose which patients they take on and gives them more control over the amount of bookings and clients they see each day. Due to this, professionals in this environment generally have more control over their own work-life balance. 

Along with scheduling their patients, private clinicians also have more continuity of care and build stronger relationships with their clients as these clients will seek them out and continue to return on their own accord. This stability and continuity can be an advantage when compared to the array of patients those in the public sector would see on a day-to-day basis, with less likely chance of seeing patients repeatedly. 

The Cons of Private Practice

While private practice does have some great pros, it also has some cons. The flexibility and autonomy with your patients can sometimes come with a lack of support from the wider medical industry. There are many patients who require a multi-level approach with many specialists, and help within the public sector is often a lot more interconnected and readily available than that of the private sector. 

Another downside to this flexibility is while it’s great for day-to-day scheduling, when it comes to wanting to book holiday leave, especially for extended holidays, it can be quite difficult. To begin with there are generally fewer colleagues to cover shifts in the private sector, while there are a lot more public doctors to rotate shifts. Patients in the private sector also rely more heavily on one particular private doctor, meaning more stress around booking appointments and holidays flows through to these people, who will sometimes hold out or schedule appointments only with one doctor. 

Another downside to private practice reported on by most doctors is the lack of opportunity to conduct research or teach the next cohort of upcoming doctors. In public hospitals these opportunities present quite regularly, compared to those in a private practice where doctors would likely need to seek out an external practice that could provide this.

Working in the private sector is great for those looking to make good money, have more control over daily scheduling and build strong relationships with regular patients, however this can be balanced out by less freedom for holidays, fewer network connections within the industry and fewer research or teaching opportunities.

 

Public Sector

The fast-paced environment of the public sector for healthcare professionals is generally where a majority of both the pros and cons of this type of work environment stem from.

The Pros of Public Hospitals

A great pro in the public hospital system is the learning opportunities available. Public hospitals have a wider range of resources and networks for employees to conduct research with colleagues, learn new skills and try their hand at a wider range of tasks. These facilities also open the door to options for teaching opportunities, where you can share your knowledge with others around you, especially new graduate positions. 

There is also more room to grow into new roles that are not as available in private practice. The public system has a wider range of positions and larger number of staff generally, meaning the career progression into management and leadership positions is more achievable.

With these extra resources there is also more support and resources around you to draw on whilst treating your patients, as many of their multi-level care needs exist in one place. Unlike the private sector, the public sector has a wide range of  knowledge outside one’s own speciality readily available from colleagues and medical professionals based in the same clinic or hospital. 

Many roles within this sector are also on fixed salaries, meaning no matter how busy, or slow, any day is, you are paid a fixed amount. 

The Cons of Public Hospitals

Alongside the opportunity to learn and grow in a fast-paced public environment is the main issue of amount of work. Unlike private practices where doctors can manage their daily caseload and schedule patients to suit their working hours,  public professionals are never allowed to turn away a patient, and often have daily schedules that are very busy.  This can lead to overwork and burnout for some doctors, as the workload can become very stressful with many patients to see in the short timeframe of the day. 

There is also more paperwork associated with the public healthcare system. Public doctors are often expected to write medical reports for legal reasons, and can spend many hours in a day completing this work.

Again it is a give and take in the public sector too, like the private sector. While there is a lot to be done, there is also a potential for so much to be learned and for those seeking a challenging next step, the public sector could be your next direction.

How do I make the decision?

Ultimately, the decision is up to the professional to decide which sector will best suit their needs and lifestyle. If you are someone who thrives in a fast-paced, broader medical community and has an interest in research or teaching opportunities then the public sector may be the best fit for you. Comparatively, if you are someone who has a strong focus on building patient relationships, wants to maintain sole responsibility of their general care and enjoys the flexibility to schedule your day-to-day then private practice might be your pathway.