Airline pilots have to retire at age 65. Air traffic controllers have to retire at age 56. Yet, doctors are allowed to keep on working well past any predetermined retirement age.
"Given the high-risk nature of practicing medicine, some are asking if mandatory cutoff ages and cognitive and physical examinations" should be required for all aging physicians, especially surgeons "whose slightest slip-up can cause irreparable harm to patients" (Modern Healthcare, June 11, 2016).
Topics: physician careers, Dr. Ken Teufel, retirement, Dr. Ken's Corner
As a physician, being a doctor is “who you are.” As retirement nears, it’s often difficult to walk away from such an important piece of your personal identity. Because of this, many soon-to-be retired or semi-retired physicians hang onto their stethoscopes longer and work well past the traditional retirement age of 65.
Topics: physician careers, locum tenens, Our Blog, retirement, working in retirement
Which is more difficult: taking away Grandma's car keys or telling a doctor he's "too old" to practice medicine anymore? Should there be a mandatory retirement age for physicians as there is for commercial airline pilots?
Topics: physician, retirement, Dr. Ken's Corner, Hanging Up The Stethoscope: Retirement, physician career
