Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

agreement may be enough to enable you to be comfortable with the agreement. 3. Hire An Attorney Many residents hire an attorney to help interpret and translate the language of the agreement. More specifically, an attorney helps the physician address needs and interests in the contract and understand risks and responsibilities. Generally, the attorneydoes not request changes directly with the employer, nor negotiate the compensation terms of the agreement on a candidate’s behalf. Instead, you will most likely need to address clarifications, asking questions and requesting changes directly with the employer. R E A D : Selecting Legal Counsel We recommend evaluating three criteria before selecting legal counsel, including: 1. Expertise – When researching for legal counsel, we recommend specialists in employment law, preferably, someone with physician employment contract experience. 2. Accessible – The attorney should be able to meet and respond to you on a timely basis and understand the importance of responding quickly. Even if the employer does not provide a deadline, you will want to secure the position in a timely manner. 3. Pricing Structure – Most attorneys charge an hourly rate ranging from $200 to $1,000 per hour. There are law firms that specialize in physician contract review that offer packages with fixed pricing. Employment Law For Physicians 323 WWW.PHYSICIANCAREERPLANNING.COM