Practice Management
Pre-Practice Calendar
This calendar is representative of your last year of residency and
should serve as a reference of when certain tasks should be completed
and when you need to be considering specific issues related to joining
a practice. Note that is only a guide; some practices may begin recruiting
students before the third year of residency has even started.
July
| Plan Your Strategy |
What is important to you? Rank such factors as family,
location, finances, and working conditions. |
| Where are the jobs? |
Assess your value by assessing the job market. Look
at the current demand compared with the number of working physicians
in the area. |
| Practice Types |
Solo, group, hospital-owned, staff-model HMO |
| Fellowship Training |
If you want to pursue this route, start making contacts
and setting up interviews. |
| Prepare your CV |
This is a detailed listing of all credentials and
professional accomplishments. Make sure you proofread your document
twice, and print it out using a laser printer. |
August/September
| Board Review Strategies |
Learn the format, pace yourself with studying, assess
your weak areas, start forming study groups, think about taking
review courses. |
| Subspecialty Training and Certificates
of Added Qualification |
These recognize special expertise in a particular
area, and it typically means an additional 2 years of training
after residency. |
| Network |
Talk to attending physicians, residency alumni, recruiters,
professional organizations. |
| Fellowship Training |
If you want to pursue this route, start making contacts
and setting up interviews. |
| Obtain Letters of Recommendation |
Make sure you have at least 2, and allow time for
the people you chose to write them. Make an appointment with them
to discuss the letter, and send a thank you note. |
September/October/November
| Interviewing Season |
This is when you need to start heavily interviewing.
Keep your CV and resume up to date. |
| Make Yourself Marketable |
Become acquainted with a wide variety of technology,
gain broad work experience, if possible, learn another language
(especially Spanish), and demonstrate that you are a serious candidate. |
December/January
| Physician Recruiters |
If necessary, you may want to use the services of
a physician search firm. There are an estimated 4,500 to 5,000
recruiters in the U.S. offering their services. If you decide to
put yourself in their hands, visit the firm and make sure the recruiter
has the expertise to place you in the kind of practice you are
looking for. |
| The Employment Contract |
If you receive a contract for employment,
assess both the economic and noneconomic issues. Remember that
everything is negotiable. |
March/April/May
| A Second Look At the Contract |
Before making a final commitment, look
again at the term of the contract, the offered salary, benefits,
and any restrictive covenants. |
| Managing Debt |
Accumulated debt by medical students
is growing every year. Poor planning and debt management often
ends in unwise decisions. Once you have secured a job, eliminate
your personal debt first from family and friends. |
| Paperwork |
Make sure all your paperwork is in order.
A medical license application must be completed during training,
as this can take 4-6 months to be processed by your state licensing
agency. If you have already done this and you are remaining in-state,
then it will still be valid. You will need to have your CV up-to-date,
with no timeframe gaps. Obtaining hospital privileges make also
take up to 6 months. If you are joining a group practice, the staff
will probably take care of obtaining insurance provider numbers
for you; however, ensure that this is being done. |
June
| Moving |
If your new position necessitates a
move, many employers will pay for these expenses. |
Contact membership@acc.org;
800-253-4636, ext. 5603; 202-375-6000, ext. 5603
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