| Do you know what you want? Be clear about what | | | | - How many hours per week will I be expected to |
| you want in terms of practice, location, and money. | | | | spend seeing patients in the office and in the hospital? |
| Practice issues include the setting (single- or | | | | Will I have to go to satellite locations? |
| multispecialty group, hospital staff, or HMO), the type of | | | | - How many patients will I be expected to see in a |
| doctoring you want to do, the kinds of colleagues you | | | | week? |
| hope to work with, the patient load you're comfortable | | | | - How much call will I have? |
| with, the payer mix, and call and administrative duties. | | | | - Will the organization help my spouse find |
| But they also comprise the organization's style, | | | | employment? |
| philosophy, and financial viability, both short- and long | | | | Also ask subjective questions: "What do you like best |
| term. | | | | about working here?" "What bothers you most about |
| Location issues include climate, geography, cultural and | | | | the job?" "What do you do for fun?" Don't be afraid to |
| recreational opportunities, religious and educational | | | | pose the same questions to a succession of |
| facilities, character of the population, community size, | | | | interviewers. You may be amazed at the variety of |
| and safety. | | | | answers. The diversity can give you a well-rounded |
| Among the money issues are not just how much you | | | | look at the opportunity. |
| want to receive in salary, benefits, and incentives, but | | | | Talk money last. You have to ask hard questions |
| also how much the compensation package is worth in | | | | about the dollars at stake, but resist the urge to bring |
| that geographic area. A salary of $120,000, for | | | | up the subject in the first half of the interview. |
| instance, goes a lot further in Minot, N.D., than in Marin | | | | Questions to consider asking if the interviewer doesn't |
| County, Calif. | | | | bring it up first. |
| Visit for a Physician Assistant Job Assistance, and | | | | - What's the starting salary? |
| much more! | | | | - What's the signing bonus, if any? |
| Prepare your questions. The interviewing process can | | | | - Is there a productivity bonus. How is it figured? |
| be demanding, and exhausting. It's easy to lose your | | | | - Is there an income guarantee? |
| train of thought and forget key questions. Many | | | | - What can I expect to make in, say, five years? |
| physicians believe that bringing a list into the interview | | | | - What's the income-distribution formula? |
| will convey insecurity. It won't. Interviewers will generally | | | | - What costs will I be expected to assume. For |
| view your written questions as a sign that you took | | | | instance, some employers won't pay individual |
| the trouble to prepare and that your interest in the job | | | | malpractice insurance premiums. Some will, but won't |
| is sincere. | | | | cover the "tail" if the doctor leaves. |
| Among the questions to ask: | | | | - What restrictive covenants will I be subject to? |
| - What type of person are you looking for? Are | | | | - How soon will I be considered for partnership. What |
| doctors here expected to socialize for business | | | | formula determines the buy-in price? |
| purposes outside of work? For example, a practice | | | | Give positive feedback. If forced to choose between |
| might require you to put in 12-hour days and then | | | | two equally qualified candidates, an organization will |
| attend administrative meetings held informally on | | | | virtually always make its offer to the one who shows |
| Saturdays at the golf course. | | | | the most interest in the position and who seems most |
| - What's the evidence that the area needs another | | | | likely to accept it. So a simple way to gain a |
| doctor with my particular talents and skills? | | | | competitive edge is to make your positive feelings |
| - What's your practice philosophy? What will you do-or | | | | known. |
| refuse to do-for patients. An OBG, for instance, may | | | | Be specific in your compliments: "Your office setup is |
| want to know whether his colleagues perform | | | | very welcoming to patients." And if you really want the |
| abortions and sterilizations or use epidural anesthesia. | | | | job, say so in no uncertain terms: "This seems like a |
| - How does the practice assign patients? | | | | wonderful place to practice. I know I'd be happy here." |
| - What percentage of my patients will be managed | | | | This article was published by Cejka Search and |
| care. Medicaid? Medicare? | | | | originally appeared in Medical Economics Magazine. |
| - What's the typical age, education, and | | | | Copyright by Medical Economics Company Inc. at |
| socio-economic level of the patients I'll see? | | | | Montvale, NJ 07645. All rights reserved. |