Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Physician job search: 4 things I wish I had done differently

Ore Ogunyemi, MD
Physician
January 4, 2022
Share
Tweet
Share

While you must be understandably excited about this new chapter in your life, don’t let this excitement get in the way of optimizing your job search. Over half of physicians leave their first job within five years and, of those, a majority leave after 1 or 2 years. Your first job search is an important step in your career; make sure the search gets the time and energy it deserves.

1. Be clear about your wants

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 makes it easy to understand why you must be clear about your likes and dislikes.

I think it is vital to set pen to paper and write out the details of your “dream job.” While no such job exists, you want a position that considerably overlaps with this vision, remembering that your “dream job” may change throughout your career. Nevertheless, making your wishes and wants concrete by writing them down will give you a sense of purpose and direction as you start your journey.

A few months into the search, I began my “manifestation” book, listing all my non-negotiables. This included not only the concrete, such as health care setting, patient population, and work hours (including call) but also the intangibles such as the feelings I wanted to have when walking through the door of my office each day and the sense of accomplishment from caring for patients or educating the community.

2. Believe in your worth — and negotiate for it!

Many of us straight out of residency and fellowship have never negotiated a salary in any meaningful way. The offer letter provided by your residency clearly stated your income and likely set guidelines for the changes over the rest of your training, with no room for discussion. This system puts us far behind other professionals who may have learned this valuable skill up to a decade earlier.

The offer is a starting point. Be confident in your worth, realizing this dollar amount signifies the hours, education, and toil that you have put into your education, as well as the tangible and not so tangible value you will provide for years to come to your future employer.

Do not shortchange yourself. While it is helpful to look at average physician pay in your specialty and area, know that your skills are unique from your peers, and the average wage includes physicians at all stages of their career.

Whatever the starting offer is, don’t appear too eager to accept it; it may make it difficult to negotiate your needs later.

If there is pushback regarding salary, but the position is close to your ideal job, see if the offered benefits bring the two into greater alignment. Benefits include relocation costs, paid malpractice and CME, and end-of-year bonuses. Remember, this is not “free money”; you may have to repay the bonuses if you break your contract or fall short of the productivity parameters outlined in your contract. Additionally, these benefits may be considered taxable income.

As physicians, better than others, we understand that health care does not come cheap. While you are caring for patients and your community, it is vital to have peace of mind knowing that should your health — or the health of a family member- suffer, you have adequate health insurance. Ask probing questions about the health insurance packages and options.

Don’t forget to consider the family and/or maternity leave available. A survey of academic centers shows that many do not live up to the recommended 12 weeks of maternity leave, with some policies left purely to the department’s discretion.

3. Ask for advice early

ADVERTISEMENT

From your residency director, colleagues, family members, and anyone else whose opinion you trust. Don’t reinvent the wheel with your job search; countless physicians have walked this path and can help you on your journey. Senior physicians in your field are privy to information that may improve your job search, such as inside knowledge about the politics of a particular department or geographical region.

Family and trusted friends provide another perspective by serving as a sounding board that takes into account your personality and lifestyle factors that will complement the search. Don’t forget to ask to talk to current employees or, more importantly, any physician that has recently left the organization.

While I asked my program director early for advice, I did not speak candidly with current physicians until I accepted the position. When I did, I learned valuable information that would have affected my decision.

Two cautions:

  • Don’t put too much trust in advice from physician recruiters. While a good resource, their interests don’t always align with yours, and they won’t always give objective information about the contract, benefits or drawbacks, or even a full picture of available jobs.
  • Advice is just that- advice; do not let this advice sway you from your ideal job. You should be firm in your wants and wishes so that this advice complements your job search, rather than ruling it.

4. Get a lawyer to review your contract

This is a must. Never sign the dotted line until a contract lawyer has reviewed everything thoroughly. You will not regret the money spent, as they will guide you regarding certain loopholes that may seem insignificant at first glance. Whatever your familiarity with the law — read the contract yourself. While a lawyer’s guidance is invaluable, it is essential that you take the onus to understand what you are signing and why. Circle, outline, and question everything!

Personally, I have a friend who specialized in contract law, and while I asked for her advice, I still paid an independent lawyer to review the contract.

These are some things to consider during your first job search. Remember — think of your job as a life partner for as long as you have it. Spend adequate time to ensure that you won’t regret it.

Ore Ogunyemi is a urologist. This article originally appeared in the Healthcare Career Resources Blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

It is time to make the unvaccinated pay their fair share

January 4, 2022 Kevin 6
…
Next

The gender vaccination gap

January 4, 2022 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
It is time to make the unvaccinated pay their fair share
Next Post >
The gender vaccination gap

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • The black physician’s burden

    Naomi Tweyo Nkinsi
  • Why this physician supports Medicare for all

    Thad Salmon, MD
  • Embrace the teamwork involved in becoming a physician

    Nathaniel Fleming

More in Physician

  • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • Why judgment is hurting doctors—and how mindfulness can heal

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • The gift we keep giving: How medicine demands everything—even our holidays

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • From burnout to balance: a neurosurgeon’s bold career redesign

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Why working in Hawai’i health care isn’t all paradise

    Clayton Foster, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...