Physician’s job hunting timeline 

Getting your job application ready 

Writing a good cover letter 

 What do physician employers want?

How to handle the telephone interview

Anatomy of a physician job interview 

In the restaurant with physician employers

Do’s and Don’ts in a doctor job interview 

Interview Dress Code for Doctors

Evaluating a physician job opportunity 

Physician Employment Benefits

Using an attorney to review your physician employment contract 

Understanding physician employment contract 

Physician Contract Negotiations 

How to negotiate physician employment contract 

Getting ready for your first physician job 

Also make sure your time is adequately compensated. You are not supposed to do anything for free. Well not anymore! A friend of mine was offered a part-time position with hourly pay and then asked to cover night calls for free. The excuse was that the practice is new and until it builds up they cannot offer a full time position but someone has to take the call. If that ever happens to you remember you are not responsible for cutting cost for someone else’s business ramp up period.

The only reason you should do it is if it is your own business or you are already a physician partner. Unfortunately, there are many physician employers out there, who would love to have you sacrifice for their business without giving you a partnership deal. Remember if you are an employee, you charge like an employee. If you are a partner then you do whatever you can to help the medical practice. But don’t be a hard-liner either. Once in a while if a need arises do pitch in because that projects you as a reliable person.

2) FINANCIAL STRENGTH: The medical practice you are about to join will usually guarantee you salary and benefits. If the company is not financially sound, it may not be able to keep the word and you may end up looking for another job very soon. This is especially critical for residents who plan to file their immigration application through the new employer.

Trying to find out financials of a company is nearly impossible but you can get an idea from the county website to see if the property taxes are being paid on time or not. You can also check with other doctors in the practice and see if they receive their pay checks, bonuses, reimbursement for CME’s etc in time.

You can also ask the question directly at the job interview. See if you get a wishy washy answer or a straightforward declaration of profitability.

You can talk to other physicians in the area and they may be able to give you some idea. But take it with a grain of salt as it may be nothing but some juicy gossip. Look for consistency.

Now the physician employer in a financially bad position, may tell you that how your addition to the practice will help them boost revenues and bring them out of red. However never become a passenger in a sinking ship. If physician already there are losing money why would a new addition change it. Even the banks don’t loan to a losing business.

3) PHYSICIAN TURNOVER: Be very careful if you hear these stories about physicians leaving the practice and new physicians entering all the time. A revolving door for employees means the corporation is not able to keep anyone happy. And if they cannot keep the people there happy there is no way they will keep you happy.

It is expensive to recruit a physician and the ramp up period to establish a physician is also costly. Therefore most medical groups try to retain physicians by trying to keep them happy. Those who can’t, loose a lot of time , money and effort in the process and are usually declining financially.

4) PAYER MIX: You need to examine the payer mix in the area as it is directly linked to your revenues. The term is used to describe the percentage of Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and uninsured population in the area. Again I strongly believe that all patients should receive decent medical care irrespective of their insurance status. However payer mix will determine how many patients you will have to see a day to make your salary. Unfortunately payer mix has become very important in this era of Medicare cuts.

5) REPUTATION: Reputation of a practice, although ignored by many, is very important. Check with other physicians and consultants around the area to see if the group is reputable. If you join some infamous group, you will instantly become infamous. If you join a well respected group in town, you will get some of that respect even on the first day.

6) OFFICE DYNAMICS: Closely observe the way staff treats each other and their patients. Usually that reflects how the management treats the staff. And that is how you will be treated.

7) SUPPORTING SPECIALTY PHYSICIANS: Make sure you are comfortable with the kind of cases the practice deals with. If you are an FP and don’t want to deliver babies, don’t join a group that does it. Or make it clear before you sign. Put it in the contract. Make sure there are specialists around for you to refer a complex case to.

“To be successful, look successful”

Men: Conservative business suit (preferably two different ones for more than one dayphysician job interviews!). If you have only one suit then change your shirt and tie each day. You do not need to wear traditional navy blue or black suit with white shirt. Try something different, which brightens up your face. Lighter shades work good for people with dark skin and those who are slim. For those who are on the heavier side should buy darker shades. Buy you suit well in advance in anticipation and not in the last minute. This may save you money during sales of name brand suits and will give you enough time to find the one that you like. It is important that the suit you wear makes you feel confident about yourself, as it will show on your face.

Pay special attention to your shoes, ties, belts and watches. They should not look worn out. Shoes have to be brown or black depending upon the color of your suit and of course should be of same color as the belt. No perfumes please. Deodorant is a must but prefer the odorless ones. Your aftershave should not have a long lasting strong smell. Use a mild one.

Women: Women should also wear a conservative business suit with a skirt at least below mid thigh. Wearing slacks instead is an acceptable alternative. And if a suit does not make you feel confident, it is not the right one for you either. Always wear stockings with skirts, which should be of natural color and glitter free. Again if you are not slim try wearing darker colors. Women should also consider having two sets of clothing for those more than two days interviews.

Keep jewelry to the minimum. Bling-bling is not acceptable. Do not wear a noticeably high heel. Take a briefcase or handbag instead of a purse. No perfumes for you too. Wear an odor-less deodorant. You may wear makeup but don’t get heavy handed. Excessive make up will undermine your confident image.

Here are the pointers from my previoius post on the job interview process

THE DO’S

• Be punctual

• Give a firm hand shake

• Do not interrupt when someone is talking

• Listen

• Make notes

• Keep pagers and cell phones off or on silent mode.

• Treat everybody you meet politely

• Talk small talk

• Smile occasionally but NOT profusely!

• Demonstrate attentiveness

• Express your interest

• Answer all questions

• Take down directions and addresses carefully

• Dress well

• Groom well

• Be positive

• Send thank you letters

• Follow up.

THE DONT’S

In interviews for private practice openings, most of the discussions regarding salary, benefits, job requirements etc  take place over a lunch or a dinner at an upscale restaurant. There is a tendency to lose ones guard in these informal setting. But don’t!! Following are certain dos and don’ts during lunch/ Dinner interviews

The Dos

Be polite to everybody you meet (including the waiters)

Make note of any point of importance.

Appear relaxed…But inside do not relax !!!!

Do smile occasionally (NOT always!)

Listen attentively

Before leaving discuss what the next step is (If it is to visit someplace then take directions/ addresses very carefully)

Keep pager/ cell phone in silent mode

The Don’ts

Do not interrupt when someone else is speaking

Do not order alcoholic beverages

Do not order messy foods (Soups and salads are good choices)

Do not order very expensive food

Do not overeat

Do not offer to pay

Do not talk with a mouthful of seafood waiting to come out

Do not take big bites

Do not eat fast

Do not smoke

Private: Most physician job interviews for private medical practice are conducted over one to two days, one day being more common. The  job interview of physicians is generally informal. During the day you can expect tour of the group’s medical office or offices and the hospital. The prospective physician employer tries to entice you with the grandeur and facilities of their working place. You can expect to be driven around the town in an effort to attract you to the area. Generally the spouse is also invited to the interview. Serious discussions take place at lunch or dinner in a good restaurant.

Academia: Interview for the academic physician job openings are more formal and conducted by multiple physician faculties either as a group or separately. These job interviews usually last one full day or two days at most. You will meet most of the senior physician faculty in their administrative offices and can expect questions similar to the one you answered during your residency program interviews. You will be given the tour of the institution but not of the locality. Lunch is usually provided during an informal session with other physician faculty giving you an opportunity to ask questioins.

Private: Private medical groups are not searching for the brightest guy. If you have the required credentials to practice medicine and you are a good fit into their group it is more than enough. They are least concerned with your academic merits or research activities. They are looking for someone who can work hard and survive in the business; someone motivated to advance the group’s dealings. If you are skillful at a generously paying medical procedure, consider yourself ahead of the game. They also want you to be flexible during unexpected staffing shortages. Being a team player is important.

Academia : Physician compensation in academic medicine is generally less than that offered by private sector. For this reason, they want to make sure you really want to be in academics by choice. Most of the questions would be directed towards this concern. Your academic merits, research projects, published articles and teaching experience matter the most here. Your ability to generate grants may become a serious concern for them especially if you are interviewing primarily for a research position. Also keep you list of references ready. Unless you are a senior faculty already or are applying for primarily a research position, the percentage of time you want for research activities is an important issue they will consider. If you are interviewing for a clinical position and you are asking for a significant research time, consider yourself out.

“A bad impression is the last impression”

In any job interview first impression may not be the last impression. But yes if you mess up somewhere, that will surely be a long lasting one. Interviews are like rock climbing. You may be doing quite well and you may be almost there. But make one mistake and you will slip all the way down to square one. Nevertheless first impression has enormous value. And here’s how to make a good one.

SMILE

SMILE!

SMILE!! (Alright! not so profusely)

Eye contact (intermittently without making it look like a stare!)

Firm Handshake (Neither a limp handshake nor a bone crushing one is good. And never use a two-hand handshake. We are not at a funeral of our hopes.)

Walk confidently.

Don’t forget the small talk. (Don’t forget to ask your interviewer also ‘How are you’)

Be polite

Always leave the physician job interview with a positive note. Do let the employer know that you certainly found the practice opportunity appealing and would definitely consider it strongly while making a decision. They may be keen to know how soon you will be able to make a decision, especially if they are interested in you. If you are offered the spot at the interview itself, do not get pressurized to accept it. In fact never accept it right away. You ought to go back to your room and think it over !

Well unless an job offer is made it is very difficult to find out how you did. But certain cues are helpful in assessing your performance during the job interview.

If the prospective physician employer cancels the job interview midway for any reason chances are that he does not want to waste anymore time interviewing you. Sorry!

If the medical employer thanks you and would let you know about his decision in few weeks then you did well but he wants to take a look at other candidates.

If the medical employer is wondering when you will be able to make a decision or if he promises you that you will hear from him the next day or two then you have nothing to worry about. You made your point.

• To return these physician job telephone interview calls try to go in a quiet room. If you accidentally find yourself at a noisy nurse station, then excuse yourself and offer to call them back right away from a different phone in a quieter place.

• Speak slowly and clearly. Do not get nervous and speak fast.

• Small talk is a must. Just like you do everyday. ‘How are you’s and ‘thank you(s)’ are to be exchanged as usual.

• Answer all questions succinctly. Do not ramble on to prove your point.

• Keep ‘ah’, ‘umm’, ‘hmm’ and other fillers to the minimum.

• Avoid long pauses

• SMILE! Even though the other person cannot see you he or she can feel it. It projects your image as confident and easy to get along with.

1. How did you hear about us?

It sounds easy, but it isn’t so! Many times when you get that unexpected call from the potential employer you would not even remember whether you found the physician job in NEJM, JAMA or online. Non-specific answers like “one of the journals” or “online” are acceptable but being specific may project a better image of yours. The answer to it is not as important by itself as the question is generally used as an icebreaker. But if you came to know about the physician job by networking do not forget to mention who referred the position to you. As mentioned in the previous post, references in medical field may work wonders.

2. Are you serious about this physician job and the interview process?

They won’t ask you directly but you will have to make them feel that you are serious and interested in the job opening. After all physicians are busy with their practice, and even if you are paying for the job interview, they would not like to waste their time interviewing you if you are not serious about the position at their facility.

3. Are you willing to relocate?

If they offer you the doctors job would you be willing to move to the area. The employers realize that this is a very significant factor while considering job offers for doctors. Well thaat holds true for almost anybody.

4. Can you hold a good conversation?

In medicine your ability to communicate reflects how you good are you with patient communication. Tip! To improve your performance in a phone job interview, record your voice on a tape and listen to it. You will find few things you may want to change. See the next post for some phone etiquettes.

The employers also use this opportunity to explain to you what the medical job entails and responsibilities. Most of the time the private physician employer will also tell you about the compensation package (Salary and Benefits). After all they also have to attract you to their medical practice.

Typically you will not be able to attend more than 4 to 6 in person job interviews, hence you should also use this interaction to screen whether you want to attend this interview or not.

INTRODUCTION

Hiring decisions in the world of medicine are not made without face-to-face interviews. Interviewing techniques for the academia and the private sector differ markedly. The expectations are different, the questions are different and the answers are different. What may sound offending or lame in academia may become the prime topic of discussion in a private setting. These are different perspectives in medicine and does not necessarily mean either one is bad. To highlight this difference in approach my future posts regarding the physician  job interview questions  will be divided into two categories academia and private practice.

[Apparently the academicians appear to have principles while private practitioners come across as businessmen. However do not forget that the academia gets most of its funding from federal and state programs or grants. Whereas the private practitioner has to generate his own capital to keep his practice viable. In reality all successful practitioners are good businessmen. As long as the practice of medicine is fair and ethical you have nothing to fear.]

THE PROCESS

The first contact with the prospective employer is by telephone. Usually the prospective employer initiates the call. At the end of this conversation you may or may not be offered an interview. On the odd occasion you may get a call from office personnel to schedule an interview.

The face-to face interviews are by and large unstructured interviews where your academic knowledge is almost never tested. Your graduation from medical school and completion of residency are sufficient proof of your academic competence. If everything goes well in the interview you will be offered the job in next few days to weeks.