UO Magazine Jan/Feb 2009 > JOB SEARCH 101

Job Search 101

You’re on the verge of realizing your dream: your first real job as a physician. But do your homework. In today’s market, it’s not hard to find a job—the trick is to find the job that’s right for you.

By lester a picker Unique Opportunities Jan/Feb 2009

It’s a modern tale of two cities. In this version, the hero and heroine are nearly the same age, both bleary-eyed medical residents in the same specialty at the same major medical center. But, when their paths diverge after graduation, their stories take starkly different paths.

Jane Simmons (not her real name) took a position in a large, urban, multi-specialty practice and within months knew that she had made a big mistake. She was working far more hours than she had anticipated and, to make matters worse, seemed to be on call more than other physicians in the practice. She also did not enjoy the area of the country she was in. Despite its warm climate, it was located in a large city, far from her first choice that was closer to her rural Northeast roots.

The final straw, the one that caused her to leave the practice after only 16 months on the job, was the dysfunctional office environment, where backbiting ruled. Every time she thought of going to the practice administrator with a complaint, she had to pull herself up short. The administrator was the medical director’s husband.

Contrast that with Michael Duffy, 38, the medical director of Family Health Services in Twin Falls, Idaho. He is still with the same organization he signed on with after residency. The Boston-born physician loves his small community and the lifestyle it affords. Recently married, he anticipates a long and satisfying career practicing the type of medicine he loves, in what he considers the ideal practice setting—the community health center model—all in the midst of the wild outdoors in which he immerses himself every weekend.

How did such promising beginning chapters in the lives of two equally qualified residents lead to such radically different endings? The key, say the experts, is how each handled their post-residency job search.

Out of the blocks

“There are so many practice opportunities nowadays,” says Dana Butterfield, the executive vice president and the chief operating officer for the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters, “docs can go just about anywhere.” But that does not mean they should wait until the last minute to begin their job search.

“Unfortunately,” Butterfield says, “residents are so busy and so stressed out with their training and getting through the day-to-day, many tend not to worry about the job search until the 11th hour.” But timing is everything if you want to land the practice you want in the geographic area that is most likely to present you with a satisfying lifestyle.

Marilyn Hill agrees. She is the director of physician services for Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Delaware. “Residents should start getting serious about their job search in the fall of their second year,” says Hill. “You don’t want to be in a situation where you decide in May where you’re going to practice in July. It is important to plan to arrange time off in advance for interviewing. Choosing a geographic focus and practice type will help organize and streamline your efforts. Also key is allowing sufficient time for contract negotiations, obtaining state licensure, and the hospital and insurance credentialing processes. Lack of planning and not having your privileges may delay your start date and revenue generation.”

Tim DeCapite is pleased that he followed the advice of colleagues to get started early. The 30-year old, third-year dermatology resident has been sitting pretty for months, having landed the job of his choice during the summer before entering his final residency year at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He will join a small practice in northeast Maryland, close to where he and his wife grew up and where they still have strong family ties. Starting in January of his second year of residency, it took only six months for DeCapite to zero in on his first job choice.

There is another, more practical reason to start early, according to family medicine practitioner Duffy. “The job market today is so competitive among employers, with everyone trying to recruit physicians, that residents today can set up a program where the practice you choose will grant you a monthly stipend, even through a year or two of residency. If they can land you early, they avoid the large fees they would pay to a search firm.” That’s not a bad option when most residents come through their medical education up to their eyeballs in debt.

The first steps

Residents who have successfully negotiated their first job offer, as well as professional recruiters, agree on one thing. The first step in landing a rewarding post-residency appointment is to prepare yourself mentally. And that entails an introspective and sometimes difficult look at who you are and what are your priorities.

“They really need to understand their personality,” suggests Allison McCarthy, one of the principals with the national consulting firm Barlow/McCarthy, which helps hospitals attract and retain physicians. “For example, are they control oriented? Do they like working as part of a team or are they very independent? Do they have leadership qualities? Do they tend to be entrepreneurial? Are they social butterflies? They need to assess these for themselves.”

McCarthy recommends that every resident take the DISC Assessment or the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, either of which assess the individual’s personality type and can help the resident determine if a particular job culture is a good fit.

The next big task is to prioritize, which in the case of married residents, especially those with children, can be a delicate juggling act. “It’s absolutely critical that you are honest with yourself, with what your priorities are,” says Duffy. “If spending time at home and doing the things you truly enjoy are really important to you, then seek the opportunity that will give you that. If you don’t, you won’t be doing yourself or your family any favors. That is why I say that the first step is a full blown prioritizing session with yourself and your family.”

Prioritizing should cover a wide range of career and family options. And that means starting early in residency and setting aside contemplative time to ponder the answers to thorny questions. What type of practice best suits you (i.e. small group, large multi-specialty, clinic, hospital)? In what area of the country do you want to live? Does the urban or rural lifestyle appeal to you? Are there adequate career and lifestyle opportunities available for your spouse?

“It’s at least a year-long process,” consultant McCarthy says. “It would be even better if they began to think about it a couple of years ahead. In any case, I encourage them to think through what they want first before they start searching. Once they start, everybody will try to pull them in different directions. There will be so many offers out there they might end up taking something because someone else was successful in spinning it the right way to make them think they want it, versus them really knowing this is what will make them happy.

“That’s why mental preparation is critical, understanding what makes you tick, understanding the kind of environment you thrive in from a practice and geographic perspective, and not just for you but for everyone else in your household.”

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