The 6 P's of correctional health

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2010 there are just over 1.6 million prisoners in state and federal correctional facilities. Are you a psychiatrist, a psychologist or a family practice or a general or an internal medicine physician who is practicing mental health? Have you ever considered working in a correctional health facility? Here are the six P’s that make correctional health a fulfilling position/occupation:

Professional and Personal Life Balance: By working in a correctional health facility one is able to have both a professional and a personal life. A personal life that could mean more time for family matters.

Patients over Paperwork: There is an increased ability to simply practice medicine in this field than there is in the private practice setting.

Pursuit of Personal Interests: With there being the perfect balance of professional and personal life, there is the ability to follow your personal interests and hobbies.

Pride: By working in a correctional health facility there is pride that comes along with working with those who are underserved populations. Many of the incarcerated patients have not had access to health care in the past; therefore there is a sense of pride when fixing problems that have never been dealt with before.

Pathology: Routine cases plague the private practice world, in the correctional health facilities routine is not the only thing that happens. The incarcerated population often has a variety of health concerns/issues.

Practice: One can practice medicine by using a variety of treatments.

Do you have any other P's you would add to this list of what correctional health has provided you with?

If you are interested in working in a correctional health facility be sure to check out Annashae's latest job postings.