Debunking the Myth: “My Dream Job Is Guaranteed After Completing My Medical Residency”

After graduating medical school, many students pursue a medical residency to gain more experience and eventually obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine in a particular specialty.

However, many believe that once they complete their residency program, their “dream” job will be guaranteed. The reality is, it’s not. Like anything in life, nothing is guaranteed. If you want to have your “dream” job after completing your residency, you need to invest the time to make this dream a reality.

While completing your medical residency, you should be thinking about your career goals, the type of position/job you want to pursue and the region in which you want to practice. Whether you plan on staying in your home state or moving to a new state, begin searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs immediately as it could take months before you find the right opportunity. Also, consider applying and taking your medical licensure exam early.

Tips to Landing Your Dream Job After Medical Residency Completion

1. Update your CV – Review and update your CV to list all of your training and experience. Include a list of references including mid-level providers willing to speak to potential healthcare employers about you.

2. Hire a Healthcare Attorney – Before signing any offer, run it by a healthcare attorney. Having an experienced attorney review your contract will help you understand your obligations and identify areas of negotiation.

3. Evaluate your Offer(s) – Getting your first offer is exciting. However, don’t let your emotions overpower your decision. Take the time to evaluate your offer and run it by your residency program director, mentors, attendings – or anyone you know in your field that can give you critical feedback. Also, check out sources like Medscape to see the typical salary range for physicians in your specialty and location.

4. Negotiate – Once you’ve discussed your offer with a healthcare attorney, negotiate opportunities with your potential employer. Don’t think just because your potential employer uses a standardized contract for new physician hires that it’s not negotiable.

5. Site Visits – If a potential employer is interested in hiring you, they will invite you to a site visit which includes an in-person interview (all expenses paid). Site visits typically last between 1-3 days. If possible, coordinate other site visits with other potential employers and compare your options. Remember, during your site visit ask to shadow a practicing physician – this will give you insights into their culture, pros and cons etc.)

These tips aren’t guaranteed to land you your dream job, so make sure to have a plan B and C in case things don’t go as planned.

To partner with MASC Medical, simply connect with one of our physician recruiters.

MASC Medical is a leading, nationwide full-service healthcare staffing firm. Recognized as one of the best physician recruiting firms in the country, we proudly tailor our healthcare staffing services to Physicians, Mid-Level Providers, Dentists, Allied Health, and Executives.