How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Choose My Medical Specialty

Choosing the right medical career is, like any other form of employment, filled with philosophically wondrous but functionally useless platitudes. The adage “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life” decorates countless commencement speeches and career day addresses. Maybe that works for some jobs. In medicine, that strikes me as a bit backwards.

6 Best Practices for Building Patient Loyalty

Consumers today have high expectations when it comes to service. Companies such as Amazon, Netflix, and Google have thrived on providing consumers what they want, when they want it. As a result, we are living in an “on-demand” era that has increasingly infiltrated almost every industry, with healthcare being no exception. One may argue that medicine is hardly the same as ordering a video or a new set of bath towels online. However, the reality is that patients are consumers and they are living in an “on-demand” world.  To gain their business and win their loyalty, healthcare organizations and practices must recognize this shift and implement strategies to improve access, convenience, and personalization.

The following are six best practices for building and maintaining patient loyalty…

Top 9 Tips to Pick the Best Answers for USMLE Questions

The USMLE Step 1 has multiple questions, each requiring a unique strategy to arrive at the best answer. Here are 9 tips to help you finish your USMLE test on time, if not early, and get maximum answers right.

Physicians, Don’t Let These Excuses Stop Your Salary Negotiations 

Yes! No! Definitely! Definitely not! Maybe. Yes, it’s a definite maybe! Early, late, half-time, never?  You first. NEVER you first. When? How? Where? You changed your mind. Paper, email, text, a singing telegram? Get in their face; be demure. NEVER use these words; ALWAYS use these words. Is the market up or down? Wear blue. Wear black. Wear scrubs.

Such are the agonies, uncertainties, and the perseveration of negotiating a salary. You shouldn’t have to suffer so much – you did enough of that during your training. I’m providing some excuses you can use to avoid the discomfort of salary negotiation. Try them on before your interview. You’ll find something. If you don’t find a good fit, don’t worry. The universe never runs out of excuses.

Employee Engagement Through Training and Education Opportunities

Many organizations face challenges when creating training programs that meet the needs of employees, especially staff who work nights and weekends. Smaller organizations find it difficult to train staff that work nights and weekends. Developing other forms of training access will reduce payroll costs and increase employee satisfaction and engagement by showing your consideration of their personal time.

How One Doctor Lost $67,500 in Less Than a Minute

…I was not fully vested and would have to forfeit over $67,000.

Poof…Gone forever.

Holy shit. Seriously?!?

What a painful lesson. One I never want to repeat, and one I hope you never have to face. If only I would have used a financial advisor at the start, this painful lesson could have been avoided, before plowing blindly ahead into investments I didn’t fully understand…

Job Descriptions That Pull a Double Shift as Job Postings

It’s time for job descriptions to break free of the regulation rut and become a dynamic, evolving document that not only outlines the work but sells potential candidates on joining your team. Advertisements that are candidate-centric are more likely to generate a high response rate, and they start with job descriptions that do the same. With a job description that’s written with candidate need in mind, you can easily translate them into an advertisement that draws interest…

Get Yourself Hired! What Not to Disclose in a Job Interview

Interviewing for a job can be one of life’s most stressful experiences, even though you’re a great candidate. Your education is from a top university. You have an engaging personality. You check all the right boxes, but the others you […]

Physician Job Search: 5 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently

View your first job as a potential life partner and plan accordingly- you want a sense of contentment when you wake up knowing you will spend more time at this position than with your significant other. Viewing your job in this way, it is easy to understand why you must be clear about your likes, and dislikes as well.

Inside the Minds of Nurses

What do nurses really want from their employer, and how can institutions provide for them? In most industries, turnover is costly and drains productivity. In healthcare, turnover can impact patient outcomes and a facility’s reputation. In today’s tight market, retention is a top priority, followed only slightly behind by attracting top talent to your institution. Attracting the best talent in the industry and keeping them engaged and retained is a top priority for every healthcare institution.