One way to find out more about a practice is from the receptionist or any staff member.  They will often provide honest information invaluable to assessing the true nature of the practice culture on a day-to-day basis.  Just a basic question like how long have you worked here can tell you alot.  If the front desk person hasn’t been there awhile, it could be a key to a bigger picture about the rest of the staff and their turnover.  And, it could be an indication that the practice doesn’t have good patient-office relations which could lead to less patients than other practices attract.  Other basic questions are:  What do you like best about working here?  What are your hours?  (If the answer is longer than the posted hours, it can indicate the hours you might work.)  What do you think of the patient charting system?

Physiatry has seen trends in the favored services.  For example, EMG’s were a favorite 20 years ago, then interventional, then subacute.  New graduates are now gradually returning to an interest in inpatient, TBI, and SCI .

A newer trend in physiatry is the interest of private equity firms in physiatry.  Some private equity firms favor physiatry by the service provided.  For example, some firms affiliate with physiatrists who do subacute  work while some favor those who do general outpatient or interventional work.  If you have an interest in affiliation/acquisition, please contact me at farrhealth@comcast.net, 888-362-7200, 717-232-7211 cell phone.

Everyone is talking about New Year’s Resolutions!  What is your physical medicine and rehabilitation business resolution for 2020?  You might consider these PM&R resolutions:

• Find a new physiatry job.  Farr Healthcare, Inc. can help you with this!
• Increase your bottom line
• Pursue avenues towards physical medicine and rehab practice acquisition as many practices are being acquired these days.  Farr Healthcare, Inc. has information about some possibilities.
• Change the practice’s incentive arrangement
• Add new information technology to the practice
• Do more marketing

You have to ask yourself what is your true desire for the future.  Whatever it is, the experts say it’s important to set goals and priorities to accomplish the resolution.  In these days where many doctors feel like they’re losing control, making a New Year’s Resolution and  accomplishing it will make you gain control.

Recently, a physiatrist commented to me that physician recruiters are too expensive and not necessary. Needless to say, it struck a nerve. I’ve heard the comment before on occasion. I’d like to address it here.

There is a need for physician recruitment companies in that hiring entities reach out to them to help with recruitment.  Entities use physician recruitment services because they find it difficult to find physicians and/or that it is more cost-effective to outsource the process.  There is a doctor shortage so entities often need help.

Conversely, as was the case with this doctor, one might think that if there’s a doctor shortage then doctors can easily find jobs. On the surface, this logic prevails however there are many considerations when looking for a practice opportunity, many concerns and cases when a practice opportunity is only available through a particular physician recruiter, that a physician recruiter is a vital component of finding a job.

To be continued . . .

You can find a good amount of information about writing your curriculum vitae on my website to include on the tab about it and in my blogs.  Here are some reminders:

1.  Objective:  You may want to include in your objective the type of services you want to provide, i.e. inpatient, outpatient, inpatient/outpatient etc.  Of course, if you do this then you have to be careful to submit it to practice opportunities that match your desired services.
2. Photograph:  Most advisors recommend that you do not include your photograph.  This is because it places the recipient in a position that they can be accused of discrimination.  I still suggest a photo but one that is stapled to the cv so that the company can remove it if they choose.
3. Exams:  Include all the exams you have taken.
4.  CV Template:  To make your life easier, you can find cv templates on the web such as at https://www.thebalancecareers.com/medical-curriculum-vitae-example-2060325
5. Proofreading:  Although I’ve said it before, have a friend review your cv for typo’s.  It’s so easy for you to have typo’s and to miss them when checking your cv yourself.

Most of the time when you’re searching for a physiatry job you are fortunate in that you’re talking with a number of practices and/or hospitals.  But what should you tell them about your other practice searches? In physiatry, most practices/hospitals  know that there are more practice opportunities than physiatrists in most areas so that you will be talking to several others.

Here are some tips to help you minimize any ill will from the practices and/or hospitals that ultimately you decide not to pursue.  This is critical because pm&r is a small world and you never know when you might encounter someone again.   First, even though you think that the physical medicine and rehabilitation practices/hospitals already know that you’re considering other opportunities, you should advise them so that it is clear and they won’t be surprised and upset later on when you tell them you’re taking another offer.

Second, ask all the entities you’re talking with what their timeline is.  This information will help you identify how you should respond to them.  For example, if the first entity says that they’re talking with doctors and will decide on someone when they find the “right” person, while the second  entity says that they plan to make a decision in the next month, you will know that it’s less critical to be definitive in your discussions with the first entity.

Third, regardless of your interest in a job offer, be gracious and polite when an offer is extended to you.  Again, physiatry is a small world and you don’t want to burn any bridges.  Extending an offer is a extension of a hospital/practice’s willingness and they may feel sleighted if you aren’t considerate.

Fourth, although countering one offer from a hospital/practice with an offer from another hospital/practice may result in a better financial opportunity, be careful.  If the practice/hospital feels that they are being used as such, they may decide that they no longer want you!

I’ll never forget when an experienced physiatrist told me after interviewing that if she didn’t get the job, it wasn’t a total loss because of the interview experience.  I never thought of it that way!  To me, the only goal was to get a physical medicine and rehabilitation job offer.

What she meant is that the process of interviewing is a learning process.  The more you interview, the better you get.  You learn the questions you’ll be asked and can recall them and practice the answers afterwards for future job interviews.  You become more comfortable with future interviews. You can review the interview and no doubt identify things you could have done better.

Acknowledging her attitude can in and of itself make you less anxious about the pm&r interview.  Best wishes with your interviews!

You’ve heard all the things you should do during your practice search – prepare for the interview, send a thank you note, make eye-to-eye contact.  However there is one very important thing to do during your practice search that ultimately will affect getting a job as well as ease the job start process.

Obtain a state license!  If you don’t know what state you’re most interested in, then this probably won’t work.  But, if you have a few states in mind to include tough states to get a license in like CA, TX, and NJ, it is imperative that you apply for your license at least 6 months before you start work.  Actually, the earlier the better.

Without a state license, you may be overlooked for someone else who’s interviewing who already has one.  And, you can’t start work until you have a license because it is necessary for the payor paperwork to be submitted.  The practice/hospital won’t want you to start until they have received confirmation from their payors that their paperwork has been completed and you’re on the payor panels.

The practice search process is not a once and done or every 5 – 10 years process.  It is an ongoing process as often the best practice opportunities are those that go unadvertised and which you only hear about through networking.  Therefore, it is vital to network on a daily basis.

Do’s

• If you find networking hard to fit into your schedule, schedule it just as you would any other activity.  Make a list of all of your professional colleagues and then schedule a person a day, give or take, based on how many colleagues you have and contact them.
• Of course, you want to be at the top of your form when talking with your colleague so you should be prepared with discussion points and use the opportunity to promote yourself concisely.
• Networking should have an easy flow about it with a good give and take between you and your colleague.  Consider preparing some questions to ask to facilitate an easy conversation.
• Networking is a two-way street so just as you’re looking for a continued connection with your colleague, he/she may have the same agenda so be prepared to help him/her just as you may want help now or in the future.
• This is one activity in the practice search process which doesn’t involve discussion of the same.  Instead, it is an opportunity to dialogue with colleagues so that they are mindful of you if and when a practice opportunity may arise with them.  Of course, if work happens to come up in the discussion then this is the perfect opportunity to learn as much as possible as you can about it.
• Another non-direct outcome of networking is the possibility of references.  The more you stay in touch with your colleagues, the more apt they are to be willing to provide a reference and to provide a good reference.

Don’ts

• Take too much of your colleagues’ time unless he/she engages in a good back and forth conversation with you.
• Don’t be conceited when discussing your abilities and certainly be honest with your skills.
• Don’t just focus on your side of the conversation.  You should be listening as much as you’re talking.