Do you have your homework done and curriculum vitae (CV) polished? Be ready to talk to potential employers and recruiters before you begin to make inquiries.
Initial Discussions.
When you begin communication with a recruiter or representative of a practice, arrange a mutually convenient time to learn more by telephone, or, if local, in person. Start with, “Tell me about the practice.” Listen carefully to the response. What does the representative talk about first? What is emphasized? What is mentioned in passing? Be aware that (s)he is probably representing the practice in its best light.
Ask about its history and why the practice is recruiting. What type of work will you be doing? Ask about your personal key issues you identified earlier that could make the job a good or a bad fit.
Visiting the Practice
With the representative, plan an itinerary from which you can gather the information you need to make an informed decision, using your list of key issues as a guide. Try to visit for at least two days, or come back to take a second look. If you are married or in a committed relationship, take your spouse or partner with you. Another viewpoint can be valuable, and it will be important to choose a situation in which the job and the community will meet your significant other’s needs and wants as well.
Meet the physicians and other health care providers (physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and others) with whom you will be in practice. Often, meeting the providers is done over a nice dinner, but you’ll learn more by observing the practitioners and the practice in operation. Try to spend time alone with each of the providers, imagining yourself working with each one. Ask if you can shadow a physician.
Try to talk privately with each practitioner or with physicians who are in positions similar to the position in which you would be practicing. How long have they been in the practice? Do they like it? Have physicians left the practice? Why? A rapid turnover in physicians should trigger caution; ascertain the reasons before you seriously consider choosing a particular opportunity. If possible, exchange phone numbers and e-mail addresses with potential colleagues.
A tour should include the hospital and all the offices staffed by the practice. Talk to as many people as you can, including physicians to whom you’d be referring, or from whom you’d probably get referrals. Do you get a warm, respectful, welcome, or do they seem aloof? Mention the practice you are considering joining. Is there a favorable response, or do you sense something negative underlying the responses? Try to get a feel for the reputation of the practice.
Your final decision
Take time to reflect on everything you’ve learned about a potential job, especially as it covers your key issues. If inconsistencies are piling up, the risk of a poor fit grows. Imagine yourself in the practice with future colleagues and the tone, or “personality” of the practice. Can you see yourself, as well as your significant other, and your children, comfortable in the culture of the community?
Don’t rush your decision or allow the representative or practitioners in the practice to pressure you into a hasty decision. It’s inappropriate for them to suggest that a quick decision must be made or the opportunity will no longer be available. If your gut says no, listen to it. The matter of compensation will be discussed in its own article.
Previous: First Steps for Physician Job Search
Next: Physician Compensation
