Diffenbaugh & Associates, Recruiters for Medical Professionals

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Interviewing Tips for Physicians

Job hunting tips for physicians

Balance wants vs. needs.
Where you would like to live and where you can make a good living are not necessarily in the same locale. A child psychiatrist may want to practice in Hawaii. What he or she may really need, however, is a large enough adolescent population to build a thriving practice. Before shopping for a practice opportunity , you should know the amount of money, the type of practice that you will need in the years to come.

The physician's spouse is an important member of the teamInvolve your spouse.
Employers understand that a physician's spouse is at least 50% responsible for any decision to relocate. Most employers will pay for the spouse's site visit and a separate itinerary to examine recreational, educational and other options while the physician is examining the hospital/medical facilities.
     

Preparation

Prepare your questions.
Interviews are hectic. Though it may seem overly formal, prepare a written list of questions. Ask for our Interviewing Guide. Fairly standard questions should address:

  • Number of patients seen by existing physicians
  • Percent of revenue derived from managed care
  • Descriptions and evaluations by existing physicians of managed care plans
  • Fees charged per office visit
  • Percent of overhead
  • Prevailing charges for patients in service area
  • Percent % of staff turnover
  • Potential nepotism on staff
  • Collection rates
  • Other buy-in proposals
  • Hours existing physicians work
  • Physician to population ratio in the area (i.e., Potential competition)

Confirm financials:
Before making a site visit, the question of reimbursement & compensation should be discussed in a broad sense. It is unrealistic to expect the CMHC/ hospital/group to tell you, in advance of your visit, what they are willing to pay. A candidate that meets their requirements, appears enthusiastic about the opportunity, has the

      

Checklist

appropriate credentials and displays an acceptable work ethic will receive a different offer than one who is "just looking."

  • The income guarantee. Is it net or gross? Is there a "forgiveness period?"
  • The salary. Does it include a production bonus, and exactly how does the bonus work?
  • How does it compare with what your specialty is earning nationally and locally?
  • The payor mix. Who are the patients and how do they pay?

Meet your peers.
A red flag should go up if recruiters or administrators say that existing physicians support your recruitment but are too busy to meet with you. Insist on meeting with the physicians who will have an impact on your practice. If there is lukewarm response from a physician you meet to determine if they view you as competition.

Visualize.
Rent a car and tour the community. See the real estate, the schools, the recreational areas. Can you see yourself living here? If the opportunity is wrong, you will come to realize it within 48 hours. If it is right, decide quickly, as "there is a tide in the affairs of men, which, when taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries." Julius Caesar, Act lV.iii.