Although it seems as if when you talk with someone about a new position, you should be able to start in short order! It seems as if the process should be simple and short. Unfortunately, that’s usually not the case. Just because you don’t hear back for a few weeks after submitting your cv is not usually a negative indication about their interest in you. It’s more a function of the variable of time available to the hiring entity.
Companies need an average of 23 days to screen and hire new employees, up from 13 days in 2010, says Andrew Chamberlain at the recruiting site Glassdoor. This statistic is for non-doctors and when you consider the attention to quality and credentialling involved with doctor recruitment the numbers are much greater. Sometimes, it’s a more protracted process when there are levels of administration through which your interest must be vetted. Patience is a virtue in the practice search process. Anticipate that several people will review your cv and the cv’s of other doctors, and then discuss them. This in and of itself can take a month or more depending on the entity’s size.
Usually the larger the hiring entity, the longer it might take. Staying in touch with the hiring entity is a good idea and you can do so through friendly email notes, thank you notes, etc. Feel free to ask at the outset what the timeframe will be (then add a few weeks to it.) The hiring entity will phone several doctors of interest and then bring them in for interviews. Trying to schedule these considering everyone’s busy schedule will probably take a few months. Then, there’s the contract negotiation process. This doesn’t even consider the time it takes for you to get a state license. Just remember – all’s well that end’s well!