The other day a physiatrist called me. I asked him how the new venture that he talked about a year or two was going. He said not well and that’s why he’s calling about practice opportunities. He also added that I had a good nose because I had commented when we first talked about his new venture that I had some hesitations about it. It seems that ventures often have overriding financial goals that ultimately discourage a well-meaning physician.
The title of this article, It’s Wrong, refers to situations that you encounter when you’re looking for a job that ultimately make you say “It’s wrong. . . it’s not a good job for me.” Here are some examples.
First, if it smells like a fish, it probably is a fish. Said another way, if your gut tells you something about the practice isn’t right with you, go with your first instinct. Perhaps it’s the lack of chemistry you have with the doctors in the practice or maybe it’s their philosophy or practice culture that doesn’t jive with your philosophy.
There are red flags, too. One is whether the position is new or a replacement. This is one of my basic questions when I’m asked to fill a position. Being a replacement alone is not a red flag. You have to dig deeper and find out the reason the past doctor left. It’s also good to know the attrition rate of the doctors in the practice. What is the practice’s track record for keeping their doctors?
Another red flag is if the position is with a private practice and is an employee forever position. Most positions offer the potential for partnership. If even the potential for partnership isn’t offered, then that’s a red flag. The subject of partnership potential is an article in and of itself as oftentimes, it’s very nebulous.