After graduating medical school and hustling through residency, or finishing up a fellowship, the anticipation to start working your dream job is building. While this day may seem far off, it’s never too early to plan your career strategy. Each year, thousands of residents in their final year of residency have the daunting task of surfing through thousands of job openings, determining what their next step will be. All of this can seem overwhelming, so here at Pacific Companies, we help many residents and fellows navigate this new journey and find the absolute best opportunity for them. How do we do this? Our methods are about transparency and preparing our candidates for everything they need to expect along the way.

1. Evaluating Opportunities:

Before we even present opportunities to residents and fellows, we need to establish their needs professionally, financially, personally and geographically. We always recommend that these questions be answered with significant others and families involved, especially if the physician is open to relocating. These four factors are crucial for the candidate and recruiter to have a clear understanding of each. This way the recruiter can select the best opportunities to present.

Something we like to say is “Physicians practice evidence-based medicine, and Pacific Companies practices evidence-based recruitment.”

2. Types of Practice Opportunities:

There are many different options to consider when it comes to the types of practice opportunities. Since we have had many years working with all sorts of practice settings, it’s our mission to make sure to educate physicians on what is out there. Some to consider are Multi-Specialty Groups, Single Specialty Groups, Private Practice, Hospital Employment, VA, and Academics.

3.  Permanent or Locum Tenens?

Now that we have established what the physician is looking for personally, professionally and what types of practice settings they are interested in, now it’s time to decide if they would like to find permanent or Locum Tenens opportunities. Permanent opportunities are always a great choice for a physician but when we work with residents and fellows, we always like to suggest the idea of Locum Tenens and the “try before you buy” thinking. Working a Locums job can give the newly minted physician a chance to try out practice settings, locations, etc, without all the pressure of being stuck in contracts. Some physicians straight out of school feel confident that they know exactly what they are looking for and where they want to be, and in that case a permanent position may be a good choice for them.

4. Interviews:

When we get to the interview phase of the journey, we make sure our physicians understand what to expect during a phone and in-person interview, what they should get accomplished, and how important it is to prepare beforehand. They only get one first impression, so it’s our goal to make sure our candidates are 100% prepared, confident and excited going into each interview. From the clothes they wear, to the questions they ask, we have their back through the entire interview process

5. Contracts and Compensation:

When looking deeper at a potential opportunity, there will be a point that compensation is discussed and contracts are given.When it comes to compensation, educating our candidates on MGMA compensation trends, and what is fair, low or high is pertinent. There are many types of contracts; employment agreements, 1099, ect. Our staff is well versed in all types of contractual scenarios, and will educate and advise our candidates to the best of our ability. So, when it comes time to sign on the dotted line, the hesitancy is gone.

Life-after-residency should be an extension of the learning process: our learning is shaped by those around us, so connecting with those that have a lot to teach us is vital. This is the approach we take at Pacific Companies and we hope that every resident and fellow we work with can learn and grow through the job search process and ultimately land the opportunity of their dreams.