Whether you're just out of residency or an established physician looking to move on, finding and securing a job is a multifaceted
process that involves considerable planning, energy, and self-awareness. Serendipity helps, too, but relying on lady luck
when charting your career is like trying to make your fortune by putting quarters into a slot machine: It might work out,
but the odds are against you. The more explicitly you can identify what you want in a job—the location, practice type, compensation,
benefits, partnership opportunities, practice culture, and so forth—the greater the likelihood that you'll find something
that gibes with your interests, skills, and personality.
The article that follows will help you determine what's most important to you, the advantages and disadvantages of various
practice types, and where you can turn for guidance. Subsequent articles in this six-part series will focus on using a recruiter,
networking, writing an effective CV, preparing for your job interview, how to weigh job offers, negotiating an employment
agreement, acclimating yourself to a new position, and re-entering medical practice after a hiatus.
Planning a career strategy
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Step 1:
What do you want? Reliable numbers are hard to come by, but anecdotal evidence suggests that about 50 percent of physicians leave their first
job within two years. And because changing jobs often involves credentialing with different hospitals and insurance plans,
becoming accustomed to a new practice and patient base, and possibly relocating your family to another part of the country,
carefully weighing your options and making a deliberative decision are well-worth the effort. The trick is to find a practice
situation that meets your needs, not to bend yourself out of shape to fit an opportunity.
Career guidance for physicians is notoriously sketchy, however. "Training programs focus a lot of attention on preparing residents
to evaluate, diagnose, and treat illness," says Gregory Hood, an internist in Lexington, KY, "but not on how to assess job
offers or know what type of practice is for them." So for most physicians, job planning is largely a do-it-yourself project.
Dos and Don'ts for planning a job search
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And it takes time. "Six months or longer isn't an unreasonable interval to find the right job," says Sarah Towne, an FP in
Vallejo, CA. "A shorter time might have you signing a contract just to pay the bills."
Where to begin? To get a clearer fix on what's important to you, answer the questions . Then read on to see what consultants
and established physicians say about how to determine what you want in a job before you start looking.
First, decide on a location "If you and your significant other enjoy pine trees and skiing, a job offer in Florida or Texas may not be for you, regardless
of the pay," says Michael J. Wiley, a practice management consultant in Bay Shore, NY. "Consider whether you will want an
urban, rural, or suburban setting. How important are theaters, beaches, hiking, and shopping to you? Do you want to be near
family members? Is the school system a factor?"
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