Jackson Physician Search’s unique access to Doximity helps Senior Director of Recruiting Carly Clem exceed this primary care group’s expectations and facilitate an ongoing partnership.
As the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Jackson Physician Search, Tim Sheley has relationships with healthcare leaders throughout Kentucky. He makes an effort to learn about the challenges impacting healthcare organizations in the region and, when possible, find ways to help. There isn’t always an immediate need for physician recruitment services, but Tim values the relationships and works to maintain them.
Tim had long-held relationships at a major Kentucky university’s medical center, and through those relationships, he learned the Pediatric department was issuing an RFP for recruitment services. Tim earned the business for Jackson Physician Search, but for reasons on the client’s side, the search was slow to get started. Meanwhile, the university was preparing to open a primary care clinic in September, and as of February, they still needed to hire three primary care physicians. The future clinic’s administrator turned to Tim for help.
Tim noted that the average length of a primary care search is 7.3 months so the September opening would be cutting it close. However, the Jackson Physician Search recruitment team had a track record of beating the average time-to-fill, so Tim reassured the administrator that if anyone could do it, it was his team. Tim handed off the process to Senior Director of Recruiting Carly Clem.
A Regional Recruiter with the Resources of a National Firm
A native of Kentucky, Carly had once lived in the city in which the university was based and was familiar with its surrounding suburbs. She was confident that her knowledge of the area would be useful in the search.
Carly scheduled time to meet with the Clinical Administrator in person and learn more about the new clinic and the qualities the ideal candidate would possess. Carly understood the urgency of the need and was committed to using every tool in her toolbelt to find the right candidates quickly. She crafted the family medicine job ad highlighting the university benefits package and the fact that it was outpatient-only and minimal call. She leveraged Jackson Physician Search’s extensive physician job board network to distribute the job ad to a national audience of family medicine physicians.
Focusing the Search Close to Home
While the organization was open to hiring candidates from outside the state, Carly suspected the best candidates may already be living in the area — but not necessarily searching for a new job. How could she reach family medicine physicians in the area who might be interested in a university position? Of course, Carly knew the answer was Doximity, the largest online network for physicians. Fortunately, Jackson Physician Search is the only firm to invest in a Doximity license for every single recruiter. Carly leveraged her familiarity with the area to set up detailed search parameters on Doximity and send individual DocMails to family medicine physicians in the area.
“I wanted to reach anyone who might be working in the surrounding suburbs and wanting to cut down their commute,” says Carly. “I knew the benefits that come with working for a university might be enough to attract some physicians who wouldn’t otherwise be in the job market. So I reached out individually to see if they might be interested.”
Strong Interest From Candidates with Ties to the Area
Sure enough, Carly’s first strong candidate was already working in one of the surrounding suburbs, and she was drawn to the idea of working for the university. The job was ideal for someone who wanted academic affiliation without the demands of a teaching position, which was true of Dr. M. Carly presented Dr. M to the client in May, and the process moved quickly. She signed a contract in June.
Carly found the next candidate on Doximity by reaching out to physicians who had trained at the university and might want to come back to the area. This described Dr. W precisely. Though she was not actively looking for a new position, when Carly reached out via Doximity to tell her about the opportunity, Dr. W’s interest was piqued. She signed a contract in August.
Carly’s next placement was already living in the state, and she would complete her residency in the summer of 2023. She wanted to remain in the city and saw Carly’s client as an ideal employer. Of course, Dr. L’s timeline wasn’t ideal with respect to the clinic’s September opening, but the client didn’t want to miss out on such a strong candidate and knew they could use her in another department. They extended an offer for her to start upon the completion of her training, and Dr. L was happy to accept.
Come September, Carly was still on the hunt for a third family medicine physician for the clinic, but she knew she was close. She connected with Dr. B after the physician responded to one of our customized email blasts, and after speaking to him at length over the phone, Carly was eager to present him. The client arranged an interview within 14 days, and 30 days later, the candidate signed a contract.
Secrets to Physician Recruitment Success
Carly attributes the success of the family medicine searches to her keen knowledge of the area and her access to powerful tools such as the national job board network and, of course, Doximity. While compensation was fair, she knew the draw of working for a university in the heart of the city would be enough to attract physicians who already lived there and were tired of commuting to the suburbs.
Of course, Carly also credits the client for their excellent communication and responsiveness. They were committed to working with Carly as a partner and ready to respond immediately to the candidates Carly presented.
“It’s been a very successful partnership so far,” says Carly. “The client has been extremely happy, even referring me to several other departments within the organization.”
The client certainly recognizes the benefit of working with a recruiter who lives in the region and knows the local market intrinsically. After placing three primary care physicians within 90 days and a fourth just 90 days later, Carly continues to work with the organization to fill other needs in the area.
If you are seeking a strong physician recruitment partner who knows your local market, reach out to Jackson Physician Search today. With regional offices around the country, Jackson Physician Search gives you both national reach and local expertise. Find out how we can be of service to you when you contact us today.
