top of page

10 Tips About the Job Search That Doctors Wish They’d Learned Earlier

Every year, as we prep for our annual Transition to Practice series for early career physicians, we think about the things we wish somebody would have taught us during medical school or residency, and about the most commonly asked questions from residents, fellows, and early career doctors in our online physician communities. Below, we’ve compiled a list of 10 pro tips about the job search process based on the feedback from more seasoned attending physicians that you may not always hear on this journey.


If you’re interested in attending our (free) events for early career physicians, sign up for our Transition to Practice Series!


Disclosure/Disclaimer: Our content is for generalized educational purposes. While we try to ensure it is accurate and updated, we cannot guarantee it. We are not formal financial, legal, or tax professionals and do not provide individualized advice specific to your situation. You should consult these as appropriate and/or do your own due diligence before making decisions based on this page. To learn more, visit our disclaimers and disclosures.


Top 10 job search tips for doctors

Pro tips from our physician community about how to approach the job search


There’s a lot out there about how to look for a job, but we’ve compiled a list of what we think are the most practical and valuable pieces of advice from seasoned attending physicians here. 


Here we go. If you have more that you think we should add, add them onto this Instagram post! 



It’s never too early to start looking for a job


This is especially true if you’re in a smaller field, if you are committed to a particular location, if you’re in a dual physician or dual income family where you’ll be doing a dual job search, or if the type of job you want is relatively rare. You should start networking far in advance. In smaller fields or smaller practices that may only recruit once every few years (or even once a decade), you’ll want to make sure you let them know who you are and express interest in their practice early. It’d be really frustrating to wait until your final year to reach out only to find out that they just hired someone a few weeks ago.


Related PSG resource:



Never give out your permanent contact info to recruiters, job boards, or job fairs


Get a Google Voice number that directs to your real phone number and a different email address for the job search. You can have these forwarded to your real phone number or email address, and then just turn that off once you’re done with the job search.


Unless you want to receive phone calls on a Saturday morning 8 years from now while you’re at your kid’s basketball game, be very protective about your phone number and email address. This information can easily get into the hands of other companies and recruiters and there is a whole industry that resells doctors’ contact information. 



Know that the best jobs aren’t always advertised, and that people will create jobs for you if you’re the right candidate


A mistake that many physicians make is assuming that if a job isn’t listed somewhere publicly or on a hospital website, they’re not hiring for that position. Many times, a decision just hasn’t been made to actively recruit, but a department head or a practice manager or senior partner may know of openings or needs in the pipeline secondary to a retiring physician, planned expansion, or otherwise. Similarly, you may have a skillset that they’ve been looking for or that would allow them to expand into another business line or care for a different subset of patients. If you want a job there, reach out and you may be pleasantly surprised about their desire to discuss further.


Additionally, even if they are actively hiring, recruiters and staffing firms are expensive, so the employer may be opting to advertise via word of mouth or job boards that you’re not aware of (such as our Physician Side Gigs Job Board!) to try and avoid larger middleman expenses.


Related PSG resource:



If you’re in a dual physician relationship, leverage each other in the job search process


Oftentimes, if a practice really wants someone, they’re going to try and make sure that the candidate’s significant other also has solid employment options. Since doctors often know and are friends with other doctors, there’s a good chance that they’d be willing to give you a warm introduction to groups in town in your field. This could really increase your chances of finding two physician jobs in the same market.



Try to avoid external recruiters and staffing firms if possible


One of the more frustrating aspects of the process of working with an external recruiter is that in order for them to get their commission they need to get credit for connecting you. As such, you can waste a lot of time because they won’t tell you exactly where a job is, how much it pays, etc, until you’ve committed to working with them and they’ve secured the introduction. If you see a vague job description such as “Job in New York paying $950,000 a year for general surgery,” you may go through several steps before you realize that job is in a rural part of NY you’ve never heard of, that requires being on call 24/7/52 weeks a year. If this was a job you never would’ve expressed interest in initially, you’ll likely be irritated. In a worst case scenario, several physicians report that they’ve been enticed by these headlines only to be told that the job magically filled overnight - but don’t worry, they also have another job in another town paying a third of the price. Many physicians in our communities have stories about these bait and switch or get you in the door to take a phone call tactics.


Another thing to know - external recruiters and staffing firms are very expensive for employers, and these parties are highly incentivized to find you a job. Note that this may be a good thing in certain situations, like a national job search where you don’t know markets. However, the staffing firm may pressure you or push you towards signing with a job (or in worst cases, we’ve heard reports of lying to you about details of the job) even if a job may not be the best fit for you. Their high fees may affect your leverage in negotiations. Not only that, but the aggressiveness with which they pursue you or float your resume may lead to you being inundated with phone calls and emails, or them having exclusive rights to your recruitment process and changing the dynamics of your negotiations.



Note that in house recruiters are NOT the same as external recruiters 


It’s important to know that many, if not most, hospital systems have in house recruiters. Those are not the same as the recruiter that works for the big staffing firm. The in house recruiters are directly employed by the hospital system and are there to help you navigate the employment process for that system only. They will also know a lot about your specific job and can be a great ally.


Jobs listed on our physician job board by institutions often have in-house recruiters at points of contact to help you learn more about the opportunity.



Leverage your networks heavily in the job search process


These include:

  • Friends from medical school who are now spread throughout the country

  • Co-residents or co-fellows searching for jobs (they may know of jobs that aren’t the right fit for them, but that could be a great fit for you)

  • Alumni of your training programs

  • Mentors from medical school, residency, and fellowship

  • Residents or fellows that you met on the interview trail (similar to your colleagues at your program, they may know of jobs that are open that they don’t want but you may)

  • Friends and family

  • Our Facebook communities and our physician job board (many jobs are submitted by physician colleagues)


There’s a saying that your network is your net worth. While it may not be true in regards to dollars depending on what type of job you’re seeking, it’s certainly true of access to opportunities. When you start looking for jobs, let everyone in your network know what you’re looking for and ask them to keep an ear out for you. If they know of something, ask for a warm intro - this will make you much more likely to land an interview. 


Additionally, this network should be used to vet potential opportunities. Before you spend the time, money, and energy going out to interview, put some feelers out about people’s experiences with those employers or any buzz, positive or negative, about potential employers. We often have members asking for people’s experiences with particular employers on Physician Community, so don’t be afraid to do that as well!



Take some real time to decide what kind of job you want, not what other people want for you


A lot of physicians take the wrong first job, as is evidenced by the fact that most physicians change jobs within their first few years of practice. This is often because they take jobs that they’ve always deemed prestigious or desirable, rather than what they want for their actual life, both personally and professionally.


While the pathway to becoming a board certified physician is pretty laid out for you (college → medical school → residency +/- fellowship), at this stage in your career, it’s time to think about what you want. Be very honest with yourself, as there is no right answer here. Some things to think about:

  • Do you enjoy academics? 

  • What hours do you want to work? 

  • What environment do you want to work in? 

  • How much money do you want to make? 

  • What patient population do you most enjoy? 

  • What do you want your life outside of work to look like? 

  • Do you want to be compensated based on productivity (like RVUs and collections) or do you want to be on salary? Do you want a partnership track or no?


Related PSG resources:


Also know that location can significantly impact lifestyle and income. 

Where you practice doesn’t just drill down to the specific institution or group or the practice environment (though these matter). Geographical location can impact:


Take a few hours to jot down and weigh your priorities in the job search. This will save you a lot of time and energy both in the year that you’re searching for a job and in the future.



Don’t accept the first job offered to you out of fear


There is a very real physician shortage out there. You will get a job - do not be pressured into taking one or not look around simply because you think this one will be gone and you might not get another job. Of course, if you really like a job and it really is the right fit, don’t stall on it. You don’t want it to go away if you have your heart set on it, but don’t compromise on too much too early in the process before you’ve had a chance to see what’s out there.


Related PSG resources:



It’s okay to want money - know your worth


We alluded to this earlier in deciding what type of job that you want, but we felt this one was important enough to warrant a separate bullet point because it’s so antithetical to what so many of us have had engrained into us as doctors.


You’ve worked really hard to get where you are. It’s okay to want to be compensated well. If you see a job that undervalues you, walk away. Don’t let somebody tell you the mission is more important than your compensation. It’s possible to have both. 


We’ll have a dedicated article on tips for contract negotiation later, but in the meantime, check out our physician contract negotiations & contract review primer.


Related PSG resources:



Conclusion


You’ve worked a long time to get to the point where you can get a job as a physician - make it count! Having a job that you like and that meets your personal and professional goals is priceless. Hopefully the pro tips above will help you avoid some of the mistakes others have made in the job search process.


Stay tuned for more tips on the job interview and contract negotiations! In the meantime, check out our Transition to Practice Guide and additional resources below, and sign up for our free Transition to Practice events where we take questions live on all of these topics!.



Additional career resources for physicians


Related job search and contract negotiation resources:


Transition to Practice guides for trainees & early attendings:

bottom of page