Physician

Questions for a potential employer:

Questions for Academic Employers:

1) Do you give protected time for teaching, unfunded research, and/or other scholarly activities?
2) What is the estimated salary?
3) Are you required to publish or apply for grants?
4) What is the expected teaching and speaking responsibility?

Questions for Private Practice Employers:

1) Does this job have a partnership tract?
2) How will my salary be determined? How does it compare to other physicians in the department?
3) Is there profit sharing, bonus structure, and/or salary guarantee?
4) Is there a restrictive covenant? How many miles? How many years?
5) Does this job provide tail malpractice coverage?
6) Has the group been cited for fraudulent billing practices in the past?

Common questions for both academic and private practice employers:

1) How will my productivity be measured (RVUs, patient encounters, dollars, etc.)?
2) Benefits – disability, sick leave, retirement, maternity leave, etc. These questions are usually best directed to human resources and generally not negotiable.
3) What are the work hours and call schedule?
4) Are medical licenses, DEA licenses, and society memberships reimbursed?
5) What is the reimbursement for continuing medical education (CME)?
6) Do you offer visa sponsorship?
7) Are you expecting or has there been change in leadership?
8) Have physicians left the practice in the last 3 years? Why?

Tips for physician applicants

1) Prepare for the interview (practice)
2) Prepare your CV/resume
3) Have a medical contract lawyer look over a contract before you sign it
4) Maintain or become board certified in your field
5) Obtain a medical license in the desired state of practice as soon as possible
6) Recruiters might be looking out for their own benefit not yours. You might be able to find a better job online