What Are the Best Tips for Physician Job Placement?

Medical school prepares students to use testing and information from patients to diagnose illnesses, but medical students may approach the end of their school lives without much information about physician job placement. Knowing how and where to find jobs can help medical students get jobs lined up so they can start work immediately after graduation. Having a job quickly usually is essential for graduating medical students because of student loans and the necessity to keep skills current. The best tips for physician job placement are to begin the process early, be clear about one's desires and expectations, and use reputable professional services.

Finding physician jobs takes a significant amount of time for interviewing and determining whether an applicant is a good fit for a particular job. Similarly, many doctors know they are going to retire or otherwise leave a practice up to two years in advance, meaning that doctors’ offices know they will have jobs available long before they need someone to fill that spot. Medical students who are concerned about going through the physician job placement process too early should not be. Starting the process six months or more before finishing school is not too early.

The desires of both the medical student and the established doctors where the student plans to go matter when finding a good physician job placement. Knowing where he would like to live long-term and what lifestyle he hopes to enjoy will help to narrow down potential future jobs for medical students. Someone who is willing to be on call multiple days a week will have a wider selection of jobs at hospitals and in small, busy practices than someone who would like to limit on-call duty to once a week or less. The physician job placement search should focus on these preferences to help the future doctor identify the best geographic locations and work environments.

Unlike other jobs, doctors typically do not use large job-search boards or classified advertisements to find work. Instead, purchasing a membership in a reputable industry organization or hiring a physician job placement service will help to connect future doctors with employment opportunities. When checking out these professional services, one should ask for recommendations from trusted professors or colleagues. One also should ask the job placement firms about their past success ratio and for a realistic evaluation of how likely they are to be able to assist.