How Experienced Physicians Stay Competitive in The Job Market

The average physician will change jobs at least 2 or 3 times during their career. Younger physicians are prioritizing work-life balance, supportive work culture, and hospital employment over longer work hours, rigid hierarchy, and private practice ownership. Therefore, searching for the right fit, for both the individual physician and the medical practice, can lead to frequent turnover. Nearly 50% of physicians leave their jobs within the first 5 years, and 36% of physicians overall have changed jobs within the past 3 years. I was one of those physicians. After a few years of early retirement, I decided to return to clinical medicine through the locum tenens route. In this essay, I share my insights on remaining competitive in the physician job market.

Know what is out there

Even if you are satisfied in your current job, one should always keep an eye on what positions are in demand within your specialty. Knowing what is currently advertised may help you recruit new candidates for your practice, keep you competitive for advancement in your current practice, and key you in on skills that are sought by other practices. Additionally, keep your CV updated once or twice a year, and then tailor it to the specific job when you are applying.

Stay up to date on certifications

Don’t be delinquent in maintaining the certifications needed for most jobs: renew your medical license, BLS certification, and DEA license on time before they expire, and don’t wait until the last minute to fulfill CME requirements for these certifications. When competing for a job, a new employer may not want to wait for someone who is not fully licensed or certified.

As far as board certification, each individual physician will have to decide whether it is worth it to continue re-certifying with their Specialty Board. Some jobs accept Board Eligible candidates as well as Board Certified. I am choosing not to re-certify in orthopedics and sports medicine after my latest 10-year recert period expires.

Maintain your professional network

Regularly check in with your resident classmates and mentors. First, it is almost always nice just to catch up with old colleagues. Second, they can help provide perspective when deciding whether to change jobs. Third, they can even help you find that new job or be available as a reference. Also, check in regularly and remain cordial with your boss, be it your senior partner or your hospital CEO. Their feedback to your next prospective employer can clinch or sink your candidacy. Finally, stay professional and polite with your ancillary staff. Some employers also seek their feedback on your work habits.

Keep your skills current

Whether it is telemedicine, EMR proficiency, surgical techniques, or prescribing protocols, strive to stay current with standards of care. Avoid the temptation not to change because “that is how I was trained” or “I’ve always done it that way.” Hospitals and medical practices are looking for physicians to lead them into the future. They are also looking for fully competent clinicians and not liabilities that have fallen behind current standards. Also stay abreast on healthcare regulations, reimbursement changes, and malpractice trends, so that you know your worth to a practice.

Public persona

The best advertising for physicians is still word of mouth from prior patients. Try to keep that in mind with every encounter. Rather than trying to actively enhance your brand, I recommend trying to keep a low or strictly professional profile on the internet. Bad public relations on the internet will hurt your reputation during your job search more than good reviews will help it.

Miscellaneous

Obviously, if you are looking to stay in academia, you will need to demonstrate ongoing activity in research projects, presentations, and publishing. If you are in a procedural specialty, you will need to highlight your expertise in a few procedures. If you are seeking a high-level administrator job, you will need to demonstrate how you have led large groups and delivered results on projects. Again, tailor your accomplishments on your CV or cover letter specific to the job you are seeking.

Conclusion

Changing jobs is known as one of life’s major stressors. However, it can also be an exciting transition. Each physician will likely change jobs at least twice in their career, so they should remain competitive for a new job regardless of whether they are satisfied in their current position. By keeping their certifications current, their professional network open, their skills at the current standards of care, and their public profile free of controversy, each physician will remain competitive whether choosing to stay in their current work environment or deciding to move on. Staying competitive is a prudent approach to your current and future jobs.