C
HANG ING JOBS IS norma l for
young physicians, but a pattern
of job-hopping can make them
less attractive to potential employers.
In 2012, physicians in their second
and third years of practice changed
jobs at a rate of 12.4 percent, according
to a sur vey by Cejka Search and the
American Medical Group Association.
Physician recruiter data reveals three-
quarters of physicians swap practices
w it h in t h ree yea rs of complet ing
residency. One early switch does not
ref lect poorly on a physician. If your
curriculum vitae (CV) includes several
short stints at different practices in a
career of a decade or less, however,
interviewers may balk at investing in
you for fear you won't requite their
loyalty. Landing a job in a city in which
you've always dreamed of working or
at a university whose prestige could
enhance your career may be a tougher
task if the competition is fierce and
you're perceived as a job-hopper.
The growing physician shortage,
a nd the resulting high dema nd for
physicia ns, may ma ke job-hopping
less of a stigma in medicine than in
some other professions, but young
physicians should still avoid falling
into a two-years-and-out pattern. The
key, says Michael Jones, who blogs at
HospitalRecruiting.com, is evaluating
the degree to which a job caters to
your present and future priorities. If
Peripatetic
Physician?
Are You a
By Thomas Crocker
it seems likely you'll be
as happy at a practice
or hospita l f ive yea rs
from now as you may be
today, you'll be less apt to
want a change a year or two
in — and your CV will reflect
your staying power. ■
M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Greater Boston
|
1 3
