Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

I’ll not soon forget the encounter with old Doc Robert. In truth, he instructed me in the art of fishing for employment. Many young physicians fish wildly, without strategy. The wise student will seek the old scout, with hooked hat and wrinkled eye, to instruct in the ways of fishing for employment. The resident, said he, must know his fish, read rock and stream and, placing bait to hook, work line through calm and eddy. Prepare, young resident. The job you desire requires more than putrid worm. – Dr. Goodhook F I E L D N O T E S R E A D : In-House vs. Agency Recruiter There are two types of professional recruiters: Those that work for a health system, hospital, or medical group, known as in-house recruiters, and agency recruiters, or those that work for a placement firm. In some ways they are competitors in search of candidates. In spite of the competition, many in-house recruiters and agency recruiters work together to source quality physician candidates. In-House Recruiters In-house recruiters solely represent the physician recruitment needs of their organization. In-house recruiters work directly with their physicians and senior leadershipandmanage theentire recruitment process from candidate selection to contract signing. They are very knowledgeable about their physician practices, organization, and community and will provide you with the detailed information you need to evaluate an opportunity. Most in-house recruiters are also responsible for retention, so they work very hard to find the physician with the right fit for a position. On the flip side, contract negotiation can be more difficult because there is no mediator to lead both parties to middle ground. Agency Recruiters Agency recruiters sometimes represent many different organizations at the same time. There are large, national organizations with hundreds of recruiters and clients based across the country, and there are small, one-person offices. Both will connect you with multiple opportunities and may offer valuable advice for gathering references, formattingCVs, coachingforinterviews, andcontract negotiation. Agencies, however, may have limited knowledge of the hospitals and communities they present. Agency recruiters are liaisons between you and the hiring organization who pays the agency a placement fee if you are hired. Remember that some may be motivated more by money than by your ultimate job satisfaction, so choose carefully. SECTION II: T MINUS TWO YEARS CAREER AND LIFE PLANNING GUIDEBOOK FOR MEDICAL RESIDENTS 158