I hear this question multiple times a day while at physician conferences. This question often comes from those in their last year of training who will be completing in June.‌ I always ask if they've started looking on different job boards, through their program, or attended any career fairs in the area, and often times they say no. This always gives me second-hand stress because I know how hard it can be to find the right opportunity, and what will be happening in the next few months.

Top 4 Reasons to Start Your Search Early

  1. To figure out the type of practice you want and what you are looking for in an opportunity. Many residents I talk to are unsure if they should stay in academic medicine or look into other options like single specialty groups or locums. By starting early, you can research the different practice types and look at the pros and cons each offer. This is an easy way to figure out what practice type is right for you

  2. To pick your geographic preference. Whether you are looking for a specific city and state, geographic area, or population size you can start to look at job opportunities early to see if this area matches your needs. By searching for opportunities in different areas, this gives you the chance to ask questions about the area to the recruiter of the opportunity or do your own research on the area.

  3. To schedule Interviews. You will more than likely not know how many interviews you will need to go on before you are able to accept an opportunity. Whether it is for one opportunity or multiple, you want to make sure that you do not have to rush into scheduling interviews into a short amount of time, so you can find an opportunity.

  4. To avoid settling. I'm sure we all know someone who has taken an opportunity because they needed employment. In a 2013 survey by Cejka Search and the American Medical Group Association it was found that 25% of physicians quit their job within the first three years of employment. To avoid having to start the job search process over, or having to relocate your life, make sure you are not just settling for an opportunity that you were offered because you're short on time to find another opportunity.

     

     
Hayley Woszczynski

Hayley Woszczynski - Physician & Program Relations Manager. You can stay connected with me on LinkedIn for all of the latest PracticeMatch articles and upcoming events.