I’m tempted by the learning culture and case mix offered by a career in academia. But are there any significant financial benefits to choosing this over private practice?

Steven E. Wilson, MD and professor in Vision Research, and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Washington, Seattle,

says with increases in malpractice insurance and the other costs associated with private practice, some individuals realize that their quality of life can actually be better in an academic department. Also, research funding has never been better through the National Institutes of Health than it is right now.