By Thomas Crocker
Finding
W
HETHER YOU'RE FRESH out of residenc y or merely
seeking to relocate, finding the practice or hospital
that's made for you can be one of the most difficult
tasks of your professional life.
No organization is perfect, and it's acceptable to change jobs if an
institution truly doesn't mesh with your goals or priorities. However,
carefully weighing an organization's pros and cons will maximize
your chances of finding the right fit. The following tips can aid your
decision-making:
+ Ask around. No matter where you are in your professional journey, you've
probably amassed a sizable network of contacts. There is a significant
possibility a colleague, mentor or former instructor has some valuable
perspective about the organization you're considering joining, as well as
about the surrounding medical community.
+ Research, research, research. Selecting your next, or first, career
stop is no time to think narrowly, advises Michael Jones, a blogger at
HospitalRecruiting.com. An organization's location may appeal to you,
but what do you know about its compensation protocol, culture and
on-call policies? If the answer is "Not much," you have
an incomplete understanding of what your professional
life might be like there.
+ Take your skills on the road. Steven Youngblood, MD,
a hospitalist in Metairie, La., suggests physicians
consider working in a locum tenens capacity to get a
feel for an area or organization before committing to it.
That can help them make a better-informed decision. ■
Your
M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Atlanta
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