This Friday is Match Day, which means a new class of soon-to-be medical school graduates will find out where they will spend the next three to seven years as medical residents. If you are among this group of future physicians, this next stage of training will provide essential preparation. The fast-paced, all-consuming nature of residency can leave you with little time to think about where all your hard work is leading — or, more importantly, where you want it to take you. Therefore, residents must make the first physician job search an ongoing priority to ensure the light at the end of the residency tunnel is a destination of your own choosing.    

So, do new residents need to start the job search tomorrow? Most recruiters will advise residents to begin their search 12-24 months before completing training. However, starting early may improve the odds of finding a job in which you will want to stay. Studies show that half of all physicians leave their first jobs within five years, and half of that group leaves during the first two. If residents stick to the following timeline (based on a three-year residency), they will surely find themselves with more choices than they would have otherwise. It also means they will have ample time to learn what they ideally want from an employer and find a job that meets those needs. 

Resident Job Search Tasks in the First Year(s)

Pre-assess the Physician Job Market

For new residents, the first step in a physician job search is simply researching the market. Anyone with an eye on healthcare headlines knows that staffing shortages continue to plague the industry. While some regions struggle more than others, physicians and other healthcare providers are in high demand nationwide. 

This knowledge should give you confidence about your future physician job search (and future job security). However, this doesn’t mean the physician job search is easy or that circumstances are the same for every specialty and in every location. They are not. A recent report from Jackson Physician Search uses our 2022 placement data and observations from several recruitment leaders to identify physician hiring trends in the marketplace. According to the report, primary care physicians see the greatest demand, along with specialists who are willing to treat broad panels of patients. Rural healthcare organizations have more urgent needs than organizations in urban and suburban areas. 

Of course, we may see trends shift slightly or change altogether before you move on to the more active stages of your search, but now is the time to find credible sources on the subject and start paying attention.

Identify Your Priorities

Now is the time to consider what matters most in your first physician job. Compensation and location are obviously important, but where does work-life balance fit in? What about culture, the scope of practice, and growth opportunities? Of course, you want it all, but you need to consider where you are willing to compromise. Talk to attending physicians about their lifestyles and what they like and dislike about their jobs. What are the things they wish they had known when they were searching for their first physician jobs? 

Reach Out to a Recruiter

Introduce yourself to a respected physician recruiter and ask them what to expect in each stage of the search. He or she can provide details on a typical job search timeline for your specialty and answer questions about the physician interview process, physician compensation models, or physician employment contracts. 

If you have determined that location is a priority, ask the recruiter about the job market in your preferred city. If you have any special circumstances, such as a visa requirement or a physician spouse who will also be applying to jobs, share this with the recruiter and ask for advice. Physician recruiters are usually happy to connect with residents and answer questions about what lies ahead. Don’t hesitate to reach out — by phone, email, or LinkedIn — and ask for advice. 

Resident Job Search Tasks in the Second Year 

Browse Physician Job Boards

You may not be ready to apply to physician jobs just yet, but it’s a good time to start browsing physician job boards for jobs in your specialty in the locations of interest to you. This helps you to assess the market and set realistic expectations. Set up job alerts for jobs matching your specific search criteria. If a job or employer seems particularly perfect — and your specialty is in high demand — it may be worth sending the recruiter an email expressing interest. 

Gather Documents

Before you begin applying to physician jobs, you need a polished CV, a targeted cover letter (that will be tailored to specific jobs), and a list of professional references who have agreed to serve as your reference. Once you have these three things prepared and perfected, you are ready to start actively applying for physician jobs.

Resident Job Search Tasks in the Final Year

Reconnect with a Recruiter

Now is the time to reconnect with any recruiters you may have introduced yourself to over the years. Let him or her know that you will complete your training in 12 months and are actively searching for a job. Talk to them about what you are looking for, and be clear about what is a must-have versus a nice-to-have. Be open to his or her feedback. If they suggest a location or type of organization you had not previously considered, it is likely because it aligns with what you have said is important to you. Keep an open mind.  

Browse and Submit

Remember those job alerts you set up last year? It’s time to start paying attention. Tweak your search parameters if needed, and when a job arrives in your inbox, that seems to match 70% of what you want, go ahead and express your interest. By applying, you are not promising to attend an on-site interview; you simply agree to have a conversation in which you will learn more about the opportunity.

Attend On-Site Visits

Ideally, by the third or fourth month of your final year, you have scheduled or even attended several on-site visits with potential employers. You may have even found an organization that seems like a good fit. Make sure when you visit an organization, you have an opportunity to meet not only the administration but your potential colleagues as well. Look for red flags, and don’t be afraid to ask direct questions to reveal more about the organization’s culture. You’ll also want to explore the community, perhaps with a realtor, but also on your own. If dining and shopping are important to you, spend some time downtown. If you enjoy the outdoors, ask someone to direct you to the nearest park or popular hiking spots.  

Understand Your Contract

When an organization extends an offer, you’ll want to work with your physician recruiter to understand and perhaps negotiate the terms. Before signing any physician employment contract, you may want an attorney to review it. You will address any concerns through your recruiter.

Licensing and Credentialing

Signing the contract feels like it should be the last step, and yet, it can take several months to obtain a medical license with the state, and then, you still need credentials for the specific hospital. The process won’t be labor intensive for you, but it will take time — time you must allow for when setting your job search timeline. Ideally, you are signing a contract in March if you hope to start your job in July. 

A Resident’s Job Search Starts Today

Each resident will have a slightly different timeline than what is outlined here, but let this be a guide for the stages of your search, and if nothing else, take away this — it is never too early to begin your first physician job search. From the time you begin your residency, consider yourself in the research stage. Learn about the market, discover your own priorities, and ask questions of physicians in various stages of their careers. 

If you are conducting ongoing job search research, you will likely know when it is time to begin the other job search tasks, such as reaching out to a recruiter, preparing your CV and other materials, and setting up an online job search. Those who know what to expect and are prepared for the search will ultimately have more options available to them and have a greater chance of finding a first physician job that meets their needs. 

If you are in any stage of residency and have questions about what lies ahead, the recruiters at Jackson Physician Search would love to hear from you. Reach out today for insights about the market and what to expect in your search. We also recommend you download the Physician Job Search Playbook, and when you’re ready, start searching for physician jobs online.

With Match Day quickly approaching, soon-to-be medical residents around the country are looking forward to having the next stage of their lives settled. While some will have their hearts set on a specific residency program, many will be relieved to have a better idea of what the next few years of their lives will look like. However, depending on the length of residency (and possibly, fellowship), it likely won’t be long before they must begin the search process again — this time for their first physician jobs. 

The cycle of applications, interviews, and waiting for acceptances (or rejections) is a constant in the life of a med student. Since high school, they have worked hard to present impressive applications and references — first to a university, next to medical school, and then to residency programs. The bad news for residents is that this process is far from over. The good news is that the experience gained applying to med schools and residency programs have largely prepared them for the physician job search. 

Of course, new residents will want a break from the search and apply process, however, don’t wait too long before beginning to think about your next steps. It’s never too early to start the search for your first physician job. Ease into it by considering the following:

Visualize Your Physician Career and Establish Priorities

What is most important to you in a physician job? How do you want your physician career to develop over the next five or ten years? How involved do you hope to be in your home and family life? That is, how important is work-life balance? As you progress through your residency, pay attention to what parts of the job you enjoy and ask questions of your attendings about what they like and dislike about their jobs. 

Industry experts estimate that half of the physicians coming out of residency spend less than five years in their first job, and half of that group walks away within just two years. One could argue these physicians simply change their minds about what they want in a job, but many may never have considered what was most important to them personally and professionally. Instead, they applied to physician job ads featuring the qualities best known for attracting candidates — namely, above-average compensation and/or big signing bonuses. Money can certainly catch the eye, but it does not guarantee the physician job will be a good fit for every candidate.

Of course, if you don’t know what’s most important to you in your first physician job, it is very easy to be drawn to what is important to the masses — money — and studies show the happiest physicians are not always the ones earning the most money.  

Prepare Physician Job Search Materials 

Before you begin searching and applying to jobs, you need to spend some time preparing and polishing the following physician job search materials: a comprehensive physician CV, a thoughtful cover letter (that can be tailored for a specific job), and a list of people (and their contact details) who have committed to giving you an enthusiastic recommendation. 

Don’t wait to prepare these documents until you find the perfect physician job posting. Instead, spend some time perfecting your CV, crafting a cover letter, and reaching out to potential references so that you are ready to apply as soon as you find a physician job posting that seems like a good match. 

Establish a Relationship with a Physician Recruiter

Even if you are not quite ready to begin applying to physician jobs, reach out to a physician recruiter to discuss any questions you have about the physician job search process. A knowledgeable physician recruiter will share what he or she knows about the current market for your specialty and help set your expectations about compensation, timeline, and more.   

While physicians are in high demand, this doesn’t mean the first physician job search is easy. There is a lot to navigate, and residents should allow at least a year, if not more, in order to have time to adequately evaluate opportunities. 

If you are a resident with questions about what lies ahead, contact a Jackson Physician Search recruiter today. We also recommend you download the Physician Job Search Playbook, and when you’re ready, start searching for physician jobs online.

After a full year of searching for her first hospitalist job, Dr. M was thrilled to have an offer from a health system in a major California metro. It was everything she had hoped to find. The compensation was competitive, the culture was patient-centered, and the schedule was flexible. She had verbally accepted the offer at the end of her on-site visit, but a week later, contract in hand, her parents — and their attorney — were cautioning her not to sign it. She had reviewed the points of contention and understood the concerns. However, she also knew from her recruiter that the health system did not alter certain aspects of the physician employment contract under any circumstances. The attorney advised against signing the contract unless all the adjustments he advised were made, but she truly feels this is otherwise the job of her dreams. 

Dr. M is in an incredibly difficult situation. Her parents and attorney feel that some phrases included in the contract leave her vulnerable. However, the recruiter she’s working with has already told her that the organization has historically not been willing to change this language. Does she walk away from an otherwise perfect opportunity? 

The answer, of course, is highly personal, and Dr. M will have to make it for herself, just like any physician presented with a contract of employment. The terms acceptable to one physician may be out of the question for another, but every physician should consider the following when evaluating a physician employment contract.  

1. Do your research.

Whether you are a resident searching for your first physician job or a mid- to late-career physician looking for a new opportunity, it’s a good idea to do some research about physician contracts today.

The American Medical Association’s “Making the Rounds” podcast has a series of six episodes covering everything from letters of intent and compensation to termination clauses and liability insurance. The series features guidance from AMA Senior Attorney Wes Cleveland and touches on every aspect of the physician employment contract. A recent article summarizes the highlights.

2. Know what matters most.

Director of Recruiting Katie Moeller advises residents to get familiar with physician contracts even before they have an offer in hand.

“I tell new physicians to talk to their mentors and ask questions about how their contracts are structured,” she says. “Ask them about what aspects of their contracts have the greatest impact on how they work day-to-day, so they know what to expect and what matters most.”  

If this is not your first job search, ask yourself what, if any, part of your last contract led to dissatisfaction on the job. Talk to a recruiter about those issues, so he or she can advise on what type of employer may offer a contract that is a better fit. 

3. Understand what is in the contract. 

Once you have an offer in hand, read it! Know what your obligations are (number of hours worked, availability, call commitments, administrative duties, etc.) and what you can expect in return (base salary, bonus potential, PTO, benefits, etc.) If there are gray areas or you don’t understand some of the terms, ask your recruiter if they can help connect you with leadership at the hospital/practice for further discussion. 

4. Get input from a trusted advisor.

The contract may be fairly straightforward, but it is still a good idea to have someone you trust review it and offer feedback. This could be a mentor, a parent, a spouse, or even an attorney. Katie Moeller says it’s a good idea for candidates to seek the opinion of someone they trust; however, she encourages them to think for themselves. 

“A parent, spouse, or attorney may get hung up on something that is boilerplate/template language or is fairly standard in the industry,” Katie says. “So, I advise candidates to trust their instincts and consider the situation as a whole. If the hospital/practice you hope to sign with tells you they are unable to change certain contract language, the best first step is to ask for clarification about why that is the case — it may be for a completely understandable reason, such as being consistent with wording across all employee contracts.”

5. Discuss concerns with a recruiter.

It is not for the recruiter to advise on what a physician should or should not be comfortable with. However, a good physician recruiter can share insight on whether or not the contract is in line with industry standards. That is, in the opening story, if Dr. M’s recruiter informs her that the point of concern is going to be standard in any contract with a major health system, that’s critical information to have. If it’s not an issue that Dr. M can bend on, she may need to look at working for a smaller organization or a private practice that will be more open to making adjustments to the contract. 

Evaluating the Physician Employment Contract

Physicians are obviously in high demand, which in some ways, means they have the upper hand in contract negotiations. Certainly, things like physician compensation, recruitment bonuses, and time off are often up for negotiation; however, depending on the type, size, and resources of the organization, there is not always as much flexibility as the candidate may want.  

Do your research and know what the most important aspects of the contract are for you. Read the contract and seek advice to help you understand the implications of any area that seems unclear. Bring your concerns to the recruiter, and he or she will do everything in his or her power to bring the deal to a satisfactory close for all parties involved. 

“Any contract requires a level of trust,” Katie says. “Contract language can be intimidating, so talk to other physicians in the group to better understand how the terms play out on the job. If the physicians are happy and the situation seems favorable, you can confidently sign the contract and begin the next chapter of your career.”

Whether you are seeking your first physician job or feeling out new opportunities, a Jackson Physician Search recruiter would be happy to share some insight to help you reach your goals. Reach out today or start searching for physician jobs online now.

Physician jobs are rarely contained to the nine-to-five schedule enjoyed by many working professionals. Certainly, physicians in residency and the early stages of their physician careers expect to spend a fair number of nights and weekends at the hospital or at least on call. It’s just part of the physician’s job. What you may not have thought about, however, are the many holidays you might spend working — the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas to name a few. Patients still get sick, injured, or have other emergencies on national holidays, and someone must be there to help them. That someone might even be you this holiday season. 

Working the holidays doesn’t have to be a dreaded part of a physician’s job. In fact, some see it as a rite of passage that every physician must endure. But even beyond your admission to the physician club of shared woes, working the holidays can be an overall positive experience when you think about it in the following ways:

1. A Gift to Colleagues

It’s the season of giving, and what better gift to give your colleagues than the ability to spend the day with their families? Few if any want to work the holidays, so by stepping up to volunteer, you are taking that pressure and burden off others who will likely be very grateful. 

2. A Gift to Patients

You got into this profession to help patients, but it may not always feel like you’re making a difference. However, when you provide those same services on a holiday, patients may be especially appreciative of your time and are more likely to express their gratitude. Even if they don’t, you can take satisfaction in knowing that you are providing an essential service to the community.

3. Earn Points to Cash in Later

All that giving back feels good, of course, but let’s not overlook the longer-term benefit to yourself. If you “take one for the team” over the holidays, you are better positioned to ask off for the popular week of spring break. Or when you need a colleague to cover your call one weekend, he or she will be more inclined to say yes. 

4. A Unique Atmosphere 

So, it may not be the setting for a Hallmark movie, but a hospital or clinic does have a unique vibe on a holiday that is likely to lift the spirits. Families of patients will often go to great lengths to bring the holidays to the hospital, and staff of all types enjoys a sense of unity in the shared experience of missing the holiday with their families and friends. Perhaps more so than any other time, coworkers feel like family. 

In addition to reframing the way you view the holiday shift, it may be useful to consider the following tips for preserving the spirit of the holiday for yourself.

Celebrate on a different day — Why miss the holiday when you can reschedule instead? Take time off before or after the holiday and designate a day to celebrate as you would on an official day. 

Do something festive with staff — Wear a Santa hat to work, play holiday music, or bring in latkes to share. Encourage everyone working the holiday to wear, bring, or do something to make the day jolly. 

Working the holidays is rarely ideal, but it doesn’t have to be a depressing experience. In fact, it’s likely to earn you recognition from your supervisors, appreciation from your peers, help you form deeper connections with staff, and remind you of all the reasons you became a physician — to help others in their time of need. 

Whether you’re spending the holidays on the clock or enjoying time off with family, the team at Jackson Physician Search wishes you all the best during the holiday season.