i definatly agree that it depends a lot on your practice setup and what compensation is like in your area/how much you wanna make. We have a spine guy here that is really gung ho and does a ton of cases (big ones too). He is up over 7 figures for income but he is a single guy and loves his current setup. There is another spine guy here (same specialty for comparison)who works just about the exact opposite schedule and is frequently gone on vacation to one of a jillion places. Are they both happy? YES! My point is you should figure out what you want to work (be realistic) and try to find a practice opportunity that allows it. The more restrictions you place on your particular needs, the trickier it will be to find a match for you. I would estimate (only an estimate) that my attendings here average about 45-55 hours a week. That does not count call, which varies b/t groups (we cover multiple private groups) but unless it is a case that is gonna need the OR they are just at home, not in house. I always look at it this way, I will still have a much better lifestyle than my buddy who went into general slavery, err i meant surgery....
