Start Thinking About the Future

Some residents are surprised when they begin receiving job offers before their programs have even ended. One resident who specialized in cardiology received 65 job offers in his last year and continues to receive more offers even though he accepted a position as director of cardiology at a facility in Texas.

Most interviewers always ask a question like “Where do you see yourself in five years?” and this is the same question you need to be asking yourself during your residency. How you answer the question will help determine which job offers you consider and which you don't. For example, if you see yourself having your own practice in California in five years, then you may not want to take a job in Wisconsin as the director of your specialty area. You might be looking for positions in group practices in California which would help you become familiar with the medical environment there.

If you're not sure what you want to be doing in five years, then you might not want to accept any of the job offers. Instead, you might consider locum tenens work. This will allow you to travel to different parts of the country or world doing different types of medical work so you can see what works for you.

Regardless of how you answer that question, it's at least important to start asking it now and to start preparing your answers so you'll be ready for that potential flood of job offers.

Start Thinking About What You Want

During any interview, the job applicant will have a chance to ask questions. This is important because the potential employer wants to get a feel for what's important to the applicant. Most applicants ask questions which clearly indicate what they are looking for in a position.

During your residency, you need to be thinking about what questions you would ask so you can find the job that fits what you want.

Obviously, you'll want to think about salary. Right now, you're probably earning less than $50,000 a year, but that doesn't mean you would want to settle for $50,001 as a salary offering. Think about the lifestyle you hope to have after your residency, think about how much it will cost you to pay off the debt you've incurred through your education, and think about what would be appropriate for your specialty and location. These considerations will help you determine what salary range you want from a position.

Since you may not be familiar with what to expect from a job offer, you may also need to do some research to determine what is a reasonable expectation. For example, many practices will offer up to six weeks of vacation time to new physicians. Because of the demand, some practices offer signing bonuses and loan repayments as well. You should also expect to receive time off for CME and possibly even money to cover those expenses.

Act Professional at All Times

When you are in an interview for a potential job, you are going to act like a professional because that's the image you want to convey. Well, every hour that you spend in your residency, you should be focused on conveying that same image. You want the physicians, nurses, and other staff members to see you as a physician, not as a resident.

The Bottom Line

You may think of your residency as another step in your training, but it also an extended interview for whatever position you hope to have upon its completion. By being a professional and developing a positive reputation among the physicians and residents, you'll put yourself in good shape for your future. By taking the time to consider what you hope to have now and in the short-term future, you'll be able to more effective choose the job offers which will satisfy your needs and provide you with opportunities for professional growth.

Resources Used in Article

How to Recruit New Residency Graduates
 

Doctors in Demand

About the Author

Amy Jorgensen is a freelance writer based in southern Indiana. Her articles have appeared in a variety of publications, including Southern California Physician magazine.

The author has no financial relationship to any of the companies listed in the article.