Posted by Georgia Scott
Fresh on the job board after enduring years of medical training, newly minted physicians may not know it yet, but they need your help. Maybe it’s something reticent like overlooking the format of their resume or perhaps something compassionate like offering helpful advice for the road ahead. Either way, candidates have spent years relying only on themselves.
As a physician recruiter, you have the opportunity to show them they’re not alone. Below are a few ideas on how to help physician candidates after training and succeed in their first practice.
Financial awareness
During onboarding, one of the most important decisions thrown at new hires is withholding. How they check the boxes will have a significant impact on their finances later on. Particularly if they have a sign-on bonus, tuition reimbursement or temporary housing, which they may not know could be considered taxable income.
Financial awareness also includes cost of living expectations if they’re new to the area, as well as malpractice insurance commitments, possible fluctuations in their salary due to federal reimbursement schedules or if their income is tied to the number of patients that come in. Introducing them to a financial advisor or having a graphic breakdown of average financial responsibilities and your local city and state taxes will be invaluable.
Rediscovering themselves
So much of a new physician’s identity is rooted in their training. And they likely didn’t have much of a social life. Now, as doctors, they’re finally where they’ve wanted to be but may not know how to break away from old habits. Self-discovery is important because it can help new practitioners live more meaningful lives. It’s easier to take better care of oneself with a foundation of self-love and understanding. You can encourage them to consider a new hobby, start back up an old hobby they gave up, or embark on a meditative retreat before their contract starts. The goal is to help them rediscover other passions and ultimately connect to their true selves. This simple gesture may help them find their footing in your organization a lot faster, and even help ensure they avoid burnout later on.
Networking
Social networking is very different from business networking. While friendly chats and sharing cat videos are a fun way to decompress, professional networking allows young physicians to connect to and interact with seniors and peers within their specialty. It allows doctors to stay informed about trends, get referrals from other physicians and potentially expand their practice. Additionally, senior practitioners often appreciate being approached by enthusiastic junior doctors, and the right one may even be willing to support them in achieving their goals.
Continued education
Inform physician candidates and new hires about the organization’s expectations for their continued education. They are likely aware of the general need to maintain their skills and stay current with the latest developments within their specialty.
Does your organization require the bare minimum to meet licensing and certification requirements, or is there an expectation for more? What would be required to join management, and could they benefit from more education to join professional organizations?
Protecting their reputation
Most people are aware of how to keep their social media clean, but take a moment to discuss the organization’s policy, including possible consequences regarding code of conduct and outward bias. Internally, assist them with understanding how patient reviews can not only affect their reputation but also the organization’s ability to collect from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
Leadership structure and medical staff hierarchy
Every business is arranged differently depending on the organization’s size, goals, culture and other factors. You can help new hires understand chain of command and other nuances within your organization’s leadership.
Understanding the business aspects of medicine
This includes what’s billable and at what rate (general patient billing, nonprocedural billing, procedural billing, global charges i.e. consultations, history and physical exams); how reimbursement rates are set, particularly from entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, VA; collections of accounts receivable; and unpaid bills (write-offs).
Grants and publications
While research grants and publications are generally expected in academic medicine, it can be beneficial for clinical practitioners as well. Help new hires work out their interests and how to lean into their growing professional network to find others doing similar work. Every clinician is responsible for evaluating their own practice, and to do that in a robust and meaningful way you need to use the tools of research.
Additionally, research can help doctors in their careers. In an interview with the BMJ medical journal, Neena Modi, former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and professor of neonatal medicine at Imperial College in London said, "Participation in research enables doctors to evaluate their practice objectively and to be involved in advancing their discipline. You can learn so many skills that make you a better clinician around appraising the evidence and thinking critically about a situation."
While working with physician candidates, invest some of your time to allow your expertise, professionalism and generosity to shine. By helping them now, you’re not just doing a good deed. You’re potentially providing a lifeline for them to have a more successful first practice.