New physicians and experienced physicians continually wonder: How should I apply for jobs?  Should I go through a personal recruiter, search online, or contact hospitals directly?  Should I call groups in the communities in which I want to live?  Perhaps medical societies are the answer?

eMatchPhysicians has researched every avenue and compiled a step by step process for a successful physician job search.  Click here to access our full tutorial.

In California and Texas, hospitals cannot hire physicians directly under state law. The law was originally intended to protect patient choice, but it is swiftly turning into a factor in underemployment of physicians at rural hospitals in these states. Without the ability to hire, hospitals don’t actively recruit. Without the active recruitment, rural areas suffer since the benefits of living in such an area can’t be advertised.

Rural communities, regardless of the state they are in, typically lose doctors to metropolitan areas for many reasons. More money, more culture, and a perceived higher standard of living usually draw younger doctors just out of med school. In California and Texas, add the lack of recruitment and the ability to offer employer incentives to the mix and the result may be disastrous to the future in reducing patient access to care.
California hematologist and oncologist John Rochat, MD, is employed by Mendocino Coast District Hospital. He was hired through a 2003 pilot project and he argues in this article that being employed by the hospital does not interfere with his rights as a physician. He also argues that he cannot stock necessary chemotherapy drugs without the support of the hospital.

While it is all very well and good to suggest new legislation that allows employment of doctors by hospitals in these states, the question remains of how these hospitals can recruit until then. Recruitment can be done effectively and inexpensively online through job matching services tailored to physicians, such as eMatch Physicians. Even if they are not employing them directly as hires, such inexpensive means can be used to at least advertise that they do, indeed, need physicians to staff their hospitals. Rural locations in both California and Texas may appeal to the older physician with a family that wants to be home more, and these points can be sold on such a service.

In Part One of our series we suggested that you sell your region, sell your strengths and be honest about time requirements.  Gear up for the next installment of creative ideas for your physician recruitment team to get physicians knocking on your door!

Use the Internet

Pay a web design company or your in-house team to develop a mini-site for physician recruitment that sells the benefits of your community and your organization.  Make sure that the site address is included in all of your recruitment literature.  Include links to Arts organizations and other features of interest in your town.  Talk to a few of your staff physicians and see what kinds of social activities they enjoy – then post the results as a testimonial on your new site.  New physicians are extremely web-savvy and will want to see this information, particularly if they are coming from out-of-town. 

Advertise Out of Town

If you are in a small city or town, advertise in a newspaper or magazine that is circulated in one or two of the larger cities in your state.  You’ll catch the attention of students looking to graduate shortly and doctors who are currently working burnout hours at city institutions.  If you are trying to recruit for an institute in a larger city, advertise in larger cities out of state – physicians there may be looking for a change of scenery and your ad may prompt them to pick up the phone. 

Offer Signing Bonuses

If you are having chronic problems attracting new physicians to your practice for whatever reason, consider signing bonuses.  Anyone in a medical profession is generally paying off a hefty student loan that most would like to knock down as quickly as possible, particularly in tougher economic times.  Signing bonuses can differ depending on the exact specialty or profession, so consult with the relevant professional association to determine what your bonus should be. 

Signing bonuses are not a first resort.  You should be trying all of the tricks in your bag before offering signing bonuses.  While they are a great enticement for a new employee, they are temporary in nature and won’t reduce your turnover.  You will also want to tailor bonuses to the length of the contract – small bonuses for a one year contract, larger bonuses for a two year.

Most medical establishments don’t close down for the holiday season, unless they are academic facilities conducting pure research.  For this reason, the holidays are actually a better time to look for a job than the rest of the year.  Human resources personnel don’t feel as rushed and the entire mood is more festive and relaxed.  Many medical establishments are also going to want to know that you want to work during the holidays.  Submission of your resume during this time sends a clear signal that you have a certain amount of get up and go that most of them are looking for.

Due to the fact that it is the holiday season, many hospitals and medical centers won’t bother to post ads to the job boards.  That doesn’t mean that the jobs don’t exist, just that most organizations wait until January 2nd to post them.  You can take advantage of this by using this time to specifically target the organizations that you are interested in by sending your resume in and following it up with a phone call inquiring into any new positions that have become available.  Unlike the rest of the year, human resources won’t be too tied up to take your call and most may actually enjoy chatting to a potential employee right now. 

The bad news with job searching during the holidays is that administrators and senior staff who are frequently involved in the hiring process are probably gone.  This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use this opportunity to get your foot in the door with the staff further down the ladder.  You usually don’t speak to them until later on in the process anyway, so their absence hardly matters. 

Don’t forget to have fun and go to parties with colleagues in the medical industry.  Carry a personal card so that you can hand it out at such a function in case you should happen to make the acquaintance of someone who can help you in your job search.  Send holiday cards to hiring managers that you have recently interviewed with, even if you feel it is a little late for them to receive them.  The thought will be what counts in their minds and it may be a subtle move to the top of the pile for your candidacy if they feel that you are just a little more thoughtful than the next guy (or gal). 

Most importantly, keep your spirits up and don’t lose confidence.  As a medical professional, you are guaranteed to find work, it is just a question of when and where.  Have fun, do a little every day related to your physician job search and keep on pounding on doors.  You’ll be surprised how many will still be answering over the holidays!

Also, just a reminder, eMatchPhysicians.com is hosting a “Physician Job Search Kickoff” Sweepstakes, and you can win a Caribbean cruise and other great prizes, just by registering.  Registration is FREE to all physicians, so be sure to sign up today and tell a friend.

In a traditional job search, most people get excited when handed the employment offer and just sign it.  However, when considering accepting a job as a physician you may want to take a little longer with this process since you are making a decision that will impact not only yourself but your family and an entire community as well.

Research

You are used to research.  Research the hospital or group that you are considering joining as if you were writing a publication or abstract.  How many physicians do they have and how long has each physician been there?  What is the turnover rate?  How large is the overall organization?  You may also ask to speak with the physicians that already work for the organization and see what their experience has been.   Answers to these questions will help you decide what questions to ask and how much negotiating room you have.  Read through your offer in a quiet place and then take some time to think about it before responding.  Come back to it a couple times and write down questions as you go.  Once you have gathered your thoughts, set up a time to discuss the offer with the hiring organization and politely ask your contact to explain each clause or provision that you do not understand.  You are dealing with a legal document and it is nothing but intelligent to ask questions.

Legal Counsil

The organization should be very willing to accomodate you during this time so that you can make an educated decision without having to turn to legal counsil.  Legal counsil can be very costly and very time consuming when time is of the essense.  Contracts are not left on the table to marinate – the longer you wait, the better the chance that another physician will come along and take the position you want.   However, if you do not feel confident and very clear about the offer in hand after going through your questions with the hiring organization, you may have no choice but to turn to a lawyer for help.  Do not sign a contract that you do not understand.  Many physicians have found themselves trapped or in a compromising situation because they did not take the time to understand their contract before signing it.

Size Matters when Negotiating

The larger the organization, the less flexibility they have to make contractual changes.  A small group or small community hospital typically has more flexibility so you must do your research, consider the size of the organization, and then decide how much time to spend disecting your contract versus how much time to spend on the negotiating points such as financials, vacation, CME credits, and benefits.  The larger the organization, the more you risk wasting time and money by hiring a lawyer because their contracts do not change.  They must remain fair and consistent among all physicians in all locations.

Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate

When an organization posts the financials for a job, what they are willing to pay is typically from the bottom of the scale to the middle.  The top rung is reserved for professionals with stellar qualifications that blow away the requirements.  If you meet the requirements and a little more, you can negotiate yourself into the middle salary position.  You will probably also be able to get a little more vacation time and anything else that is negotiable in your contract.  Though many hiring organizations leave room for negotiation, it doesn’t hurt to ask when recieving your contract (before you have read it).  The successful job hunt is all about the relationship you create along the way and you do not want to insult anyone by assuming they are willing to negotiate when they have already given you the best offer possible.

If you’re a resident or fellow about to complete your training or an experienced physician who’s thinking of changing jobs, you may be wondering when is the best time to start your physician job search process.   Unlike many other careers where you can change jobs and find a new job opportunity in a matter of weeks, the process for finding the right physician job can take anywhere from 6 months to over a year.  That’s why, timing can be crucial in a successful physician job search. 

As we contact training programs in October and November, we often hear them say that it’s “recruiting” season.   Recruiters around the country are faxing job descriptions for residents and fellows who are completing their training in June.  While this may be a good time to learn about a variety of new physician job opportunities, the truth is… it’s ALWAYS recruiting season for hiring organizations.

Hospitals and medical groups throughout the country are hiring physicians all year round.  In some high-demand physician specialties, such as OB/GYN, emergency medicine and hematology and oncology, the job search process can begin even sooner, with some physicians securing jobs up to two years in advance.   

To help you formulate the best plan of action, we’ve put together some general guidelines to help you estimate the time involved with each stage of the physician job search process:

• The “Search & Discovery” Phase -   Before finding the right job to apply for, you may spend 3-4 weeks networking, viewing job postings, either online or on job boards, and talking with recruiters. 
• Talking to Future Employers – Once you have a good idea of some job opportunities that may interest you, you may spend another 2-3 weeks talking to potential employers and scheduling site visits to get more familiar with each individual practice setting.  Site visits may be scheduled anywhere from 2-3 weeks in advance to coordinate with everyone’s schedules.
• The Interview Phase – Congratulations!  You’ve secured your first interview.  This process may take 2-3 weeks, and then, if you’re lucky, you may be asked back for a second interview.  You can expect this to take another 2-3 weeks.  The good news is… many second interviews result in a job offer.
• Contract & Negotiation Phase – After you’ve been offered a job, typically, you will receive the first draft of your contract within a week or two.  Now, it’s negotation time, which can range from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending upon factors like lawyer involvement and priority of your negotiations with the lawyer. 
• Giving Notice -  If you’re currently employed as a physician, you will have to give notice.  The standard time for a practicing physician is 3 months, depending on the type of practice and speciality.
• Relocation -  If you’re new job, requires relocation, you’ll have to look for a new house, and possibly put your current house on the market to sell.  Given the current real estate market, this process may take anywhere from several weeks to several months.
• Obtaining a new license -  This last phase may not be required in all cases, however, if you are moving to a new state, you may be required to get new licencing and credentialing, which can take anywhere from 3 months to 8 months, depending on the state. 

So, as you can see, by adding the times in each of the phases above, a very conservative estimate for a typical physician job search process is between six months to one year.   That’s why we suggest physicians who are considering a new physician job opportunity to start the job search process between six and nine months from the date they want to begin their new job. 

You can start your physician job search immediately by registering for FREE at eMatchPhysicians.com.  You can complete a personalized profile that will help us find the best employer to match your practice and lifestyle preferences, so you don’t have to search through thousands of online jobs that are not right for you.  The best time to start your physician job search is now.  Join today!

Whether you’re a graduating resident, fellow or practicing physician with years of experience, searching for a new physician job can be very daunting.   Despite the slowdown in the economy and the increase in layoffs and unemployment rate for most careers, the demand for jobs in healthcare continues to rise, so competition for physician jobs is at an all-time high in some areas. 

At eMatchPhysicians.com, we are committed to helping physicians find the perfect job opportunity. That’s why we’ve prepared some helpful tips to help you succeed in your physician job search process.     

1. Define your purpose.  What are you looking for in your next physician job?  Some questions to consider are: environment (rural, suburban or urban), practice set-up (group, partnership, employee, etc.), and compensation plan for physician employment. 
2. Preparation.   Stay current on news and trends in the healthcare industry because you want to be as prepared as possible when the right employer calls you.   Practice makes perfect.  Do your homework before interviewing.  Anticipate possible questions concerning physician practice opportunities and write answers for each.  Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  This statement especially rings true in terms of the site visit. A number of things are involved in making a good first impression. Common sense will tell you that personal presentation is important, but there are other issues involved in presenting your fund of medical knowledge, your personal interests, and how you can make a contribution to the potential employer.  
3. Be Professional.   Exuding professionalism during your physician job search process does matter.   Now is the time to brush up on your phone etiquette skills. Few things are more frustrating for a department head trying to fill a position than a rude doctor. You can be professional while still being friendly to your prospective employer. After all, you want the department head to get the impression you’re glad they called.  Also, don’t forget to create a professionally named email account, if you haven’t already.   JohnLovesDogs@yahoo.com just won’t do.  A simple suggestion is to use your first and last name with an underscore.   Of course, dressing the part for any interviews is essential.  Stick with something traditional like a pants suit.  Power colors like red are best used as an accent; for example, a black shirt with a red tie.  Also, you want to have the general appearance of cleanliness (brushed hair, ironed cloths) given the profession.  The expression “dress for the job you want” applies perfectly here.
4. Keep a positive attitude.  Seek support from friends and family during this challenging time.  It may take months to land your ideal physician job opportunity, but keep your enthusiasm throughout the entire job search process.  If you’re among the few to get chosen for an interview with your ideal employer, bring a positive attitude without being too familiar. This is your opportunity to sell yourself. The difference between bragging and self confidence is enthusiasm.
5. Consider alternatives.  Expand your physician job search to include hospitals and medical centers outside the metropolitan areas.  Consider physician jobs in rural areas or smaller towns that may not have as many qualified candidates applying for the same position as you.  If you are open to a change of scenery or slower paced lifestyle, this may work in your favor.   Another way to get a leg up on your competition is to use alternative methods to find the right physician job opportunity.  Websites, such as eMatchPhysicians.com, offer physicians and hiring organizations with comprehensive matching technology to simplify the physician recruiting process.  Thousands of physician jobs exist nationwide and it is impossible to research every job and speak with every recruiter.  Expand your possibilities and let eMatchPhysians search physician jobs so you don’t have to.  You can spend your time viewing only the best physician jobs for you and your family.  This eliminates the hassle and frustration and allows you to focus on what  matters most - interviews and negotiations.  

If you follow the above tips, and mix in a dash of common sense, you should be able to dazzle potential employers and have a successful physician job search.  Good luck!