Physician Career Resources Blog
View all postsLessons of Freakonomics - USMLE Step 2 CS is Excellent at Revenue Generation
By Ted Tsai, MD - August 1, 2017
Last time I discussed the book Freakonomics and how it described that people do what they are incentivized to do-- often to unintended results. Today I’m going to discuss a recently controversial aspect
Code Lavender: Healthcare Providers Caring for Themselves
By Sheramy Tsai - July 20, 2017
Stress is an inherent part of working in the health care system. While health care providers become accustomed to the daily stressors involved in their jobs, some moments arise that push caregivers past their emotional limits. Whether these situations consist of the death of a colleague, a stressful interaction between two health care providers, a difficult patient situation, or a variety of other stress-inducing situations, “Code Lavender” may be just what the doctor ordered.
How the Corporatization of Medicine Saved My Life
By Mitchel Schwindt, MD - July 5, 2017
The wake-up call came just a few years later. The stated merger with a larger national group was nothing of the sort. I soon found my pay restructured, pension wiped out, and profit sharing canceled. By then my family was firmly rooted in the community and moving was not an option. As I watched many of my colleagues and friends pack up and leave, I found myself drowning in this bleak new reality.
Are Your Affairs in Order?
By Mitchel Schwindt, MD - June 15, 2017
Delivering horrible news never gets easier. The physician pauses with a tense hand on the door, takes a deep breath, and enters the patient's room. A room full of hope and anticipation is displaced abruptly with fear and sadness. The diagnosis now revealed, and the patient and family step back in disbelief. We will do everything we can to help you beat this but recommend that you get your affairs in order...
Move to Management or Stay as an Individual Contributor?
By Susan Gulliford CPRW - June 13, 2017
The Important Career Question As you progress in your healthcare career, you might explore management opportunities. If most of your career has been in an individual contributor role, making the leap
Better Job Offer? Leave Your Current Position the Right Way
By Ron Lewis - June 7, 2017
Congratulations! Your hard work and career accomplishments have made you attractive to other employers, and you now have a job offer in hand for a better position. I’m sure you’re proud and excited. However, before you break out the champagne, there’s a little unfinished business – you have to part ways with your current employer.
How Can Recruiters Work Better With Physicians?
By Mitchel Schwindt, MD - May 31, 2017
A career in healthcare provides an incredible life full of experiences, challenges, and heartbreak, mixed with incredible satisfaction. With the rapidly shifting global economy, health professionals retain a large degree of flexibility and geographic independence. That said, it takes a unique proposition from a recruiter to pull one away from a satisfying position. I have, on a rare occasion, taken the bait and enjoyed great rewards as a result. Here is how it happened.
The Hands of Time Don't Stop for Physicians Either
By Mitchel Schwindt, MD - May 23, 2017
I would love to rewind the clock and work a bit less, skip a few more meetings, and grab an afternoon nap as often as possible. I'd like to think I would ignore the lure of a nice bonus check and take an extra vacation with the kids. Instead of moonlighting to get those student loans erased, I'd take a long, slow walk with my wife and just sit quietly watching the sunset. The hands of time wait for no one. Choose to spend those moments wisely with contemplation and great care.
Doctor means "to teach"
By Jack Isler, MD - May 16, 2017
When I think back to the original meaning of the word “doctor,” I believe we may have lost our way in the physician/patient interaction. The word “doctor” originates from a Latin word, meaning to teach. As a physician and educator, I can’t remember the last time I went to the doctor and was taught something. Prior to starting medical school, I spent 6 months in the hospital and rehab, rebuilding my body from a construction accident. This situation was very painful and debilitating, but it provided me with the patient’s perspective to illness. It is from this perspective that all physicians need to originate. By teaching, you not only strive to treat, but you strive for the best outcome.
Why Physicians Must Engage with Technology
By Mitchel Schwindt, MD - May 2, 2017
How would anyone feel if half of everything they learned turned out to be wrong? Early in my medical career, a mentor relayed a similar age-old sentiment. "One-half of everything you learn in medical