“Davey, ask them to say their name and number… (silence)… say “hi” Davey… (a loud clatter as the phone drops to the floor)… Beep.

Sure, such messages are adorable, endearing—all things precious. They are not, however, professional. And as a physician searching for a job, it is your responsibility to maintain the highest degree of professionalism in all facets of your life a prospective employer might come in contact with. Voicemail messages are one such facet; they should be simple, direct, and preferably left by someone over the age of five. And they should clearly state your name and the frequency that you return calls.

Which do you think sounds better:

1. “Hi, leave a message.”
2. “[automated voice]The person you’ve dialed at XXX-XXX-XXXX is unavailable. Please leave a message.”
3. “Hi, you’ve reached the phone of Dr. Suresh Gupta. I’m unavailable right now, but if you leave a message, I’ll return your call within the next day. Thank you.”

One and two give no idea if the person is calling the right number. #3 is professional, courteous, and will result in a better response from a physician employer.

In The Doctor Job’s quest to help all physicians be more professional, here are some additional tips that will help to make you an attractive, professional applicant in the eyes of your potential employer.

• Brush up on your phone etiquette. Few things are more frustrating for a department head trying to fill a position than a rude doctor. You can be professional while still being friendly to your prospective employer. After all, you want the department head to get the impression you’re glad they called.

• Create a professionally named email account, if you haven’t already. JaniceLovesCats@yahoo.com just won’t do. A simple suggestion is to use your first and last name with an underscore. Of course, you might have to do a slight variation if that account name is already taken.

• Dress the part for any interviews. Stick with something traditional like a pants suit. Power colors like red are best used as an accent; for example, a black shirt with a red tie. Also, you want to have the general appearance of cleanliness (brushed hair, ironed cloths) given the profession. The expression “dress for the job you want” applies perfectly here.

• Make sure your resume and cover letter follow the guidelines of professionalism. Resumes should be one page (2 pages max and only under special circumstances), simple to read, and visually attractive. Your cover letter should be a brief, one page statement that highlights your resume.

If you follow the above tips, and mix in a dash of common sense, you should be able to dazzle potential employers with your professional prowess.

When considering a new practice locale, I recommend a hefty dose of introspection first. Your likes/dislikes and interests are all serious factors to consider before taping up those moving boxes and relocating across the country. Do you like larger cities, smaller cities, or something in between? While big cities often offer a more diverse patient population, they can be overwhelming for some physicians. These doctors would rather work in a close-knit community, the kind where you walk down the street and Johnny the postman calls out your name as he waves. Of course, there is a middle ground here: You could always live in the suburbs and commute to your practice in the city.

Now, consider your interests and determine if a particular city will cater toward those interests. For example, are you a physician who enjoys international travel or has family overseas? If so, then proximity to an international airport is crucial. Also, living on the east coast often makes traveling to international destinations much easier. It’s also a good idea to assess what you like to do during your free time. (Okay, if you’re fresh out of residency/fellowship you might have forgotten what you like to do during this elusive “free time.” Don’t worry. It will come back to you.) If you enjoy going to the theatre then you should research what sort of performing arts venues a city offers. If grilling out before the big game is your idea of a good time, then finding a locale with a sports pocket might be a good fit.

While serious introspection should definitely play a role in your decision making process, the two most common factors physicians should consider when moving are career and family—and rightly so. While every city needs doctors, some cities might be a better fit for your career in medicine based on your specialty. For example, if you’re a neurologist who is looking to study a rare, degenerative disease, a certain research-oriented institution might be the best choice for your neurological career. Or, you might be drawn to a city due to work alongside a renowned physician in your field of practice. Sacrificing sunny weather or living on the coast might be a worthwhile price to pay when compared to the knowledge/experience you’ll gain while working in the right clinical or academic environment.

And let’s not forget about the family. Perhaps the single largest reason doctors relocate is in order to be closer to family. (Sure, they can drive you crazy but few motivators are as strong as family ties). If you have young children, it’s particularly nice to be closer to grandma and grandpa—also known as free, eager, top-notch babysitters. If the same city is a bit too close, consider finding a nearby metro area within a quick drive, or plane ride, to the folks.

Only after considering family, career goals, and your personal preferences, is it time to get that cover letter and resume ready. Bring on the boxes!

• Keep it concise. Unlike its European counterpart (a CV), a resume should not be a lengthy document. The ideal physician resume is one page. The somewhat less than ideal (but still acceptable under certain circumstances) resume is two pages. Period. There are no circumstances that accommodate for the twenty-page resume. An easy way to edit down your document is to remove any personal interest sections or references, as these are no longer appropriate on a professional resume.
• Highlighting versus elaborating. Let’s say you are a physician with an extensive research background in your respective field. Naturally you’d like to explain each study; after all, you invested a significant amount of time researching. Fight this instinct. A resume is designed to highlight professional experience, not to explain it in detail. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential employer. You’re tired, you’re busy, and you have a stack of physicians’ resumes to flip through. Would you rather look at a simple, neat list of research studies or chunks of paragraphs describing the laboratory setting? Highlighting. It’s a beautiful word. Wow them with snapshots of your experience; do not overwhelm them with a narrated slide show.
• Reverse chronological order. In each section, begin with your most recent experience and move backwards. Not only will this aid your potential employer in creating a mental timeline of your professional history, it tends to show you in the best light. Typically the most relevant experience you have is also the most recent. For example, if you had a section on your resume for Education and Training, your fellowship (most relevant) would be listed before your residency (still relevant) which would be listed before your medical school (less relevant) which would be listed before your undergraduate school (barely relevant), according to reverse chronological order.
• If you’re a foreign medical graduate, potential employers like to see your citizenship/visa status. And it actually works toward your advantage to be upfront about this regardless of your status. If you are a U.S. citizen, you can include this information if you went to a foreign medical school - otherwise, if you did your undergrad, medical school, and residency in the US, it will be assumed. Likewise, including your visa status shows a potential employer that you are upfront and honest, ready to make the visa process as smooth as possible for them.

These are just a few tips, but they will help you make sure that your resume is cleaner, easier to read, and more likely to get you interviews. For further assistance, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at The Doctor Job!

Au contraire, mon ami. A phone interview should be taken just as seriously as its face-to-face counterpart. After all, the goal of an interview via phone—in most cases—is to secure a traditional interview. Consider the phone interview as a necessary step in the interviewing process, something to be approached with a high degree of both preparation and professionalism.

Preparation

Preparing is akin to researching. Research the hospital/clinic you’re interviewing with and know how you will be an asset to that facility. Not only will this allow you to ask well-educated questions throughout the interview process, the interviewer will be able to cover more specific areas of interest if you are already briefed on the general facts. Have your resume nearby as a reference; chances are your interviewer has it in front of them and will be asking questions about it. In addition, jot down a list of your strengths and weaknesses; employers love to ask these slightly predictable questions. Use that to your advantage and be ready with solid answers. Also, don’t be hesitant to practice a mock phone interview with a friend or family member ahead of time. Sure, you might feel slightly ridiculous, but the confidence and phone communication skills you’ll gain in the process is worth the momentary feeling of silliness.

Professionalism

Equally as important as preparation, approaching a phone interview with an air of professionalism is crucial. Clear the family pet and darling children from the room; you don’t need any distractions and either does your potential employer. Chewing gum or eating food also counts as an unnecessary distraction. Of course, it’s not a bad idea to have a glass of water nearby in case your mouth gets dry. Also, most people find that standing versus sitting helps achieve a more assertive tone; smiling also improves the quality/sound of your voice. When addressing your interviewer, make sure to address them with the correct title; avoid first names unless you are specifically told otherwise by the employer. When answering, use simple/concise answers. And remember, if you need a moment to think before answering then take it. You’d rather formulate a response that sounds collected and competent after a moment’s break than an immediate response that’s wondering and unsure.

Through proper attention to preparation and professionalism, your phone interview can lead to a face-to-face interview or even a job. So, while you don’t technically have to worry about double pressing your pants, you might want to get them ready just in case.

Med students, go ahead and mourn those lazy summer days because you probably won’t see them again for several years. Sure, during your undergraduate studies you could take time off to relax before fall—but medical school is just a tad different. The summer between your first and second year at medical school is the last summer where you could, in theory, sleep in until noon, read the latest best-seller, or perfect your Nintendo Wii skills. The job of this article, however, is to convince you to do otherwise.

The break directly before your second year of medical school is an ideal time to further investigate which specialty you’d like to pursue professionally. It’s the question Grandma Fran asked you over Christmas, the question you ponder before falling asleep, and the question you’ve tried to answer by visiting various grand rounds. Well, consider researching various specialties your unofficial assignment during the summer in between MS-I and MS-II.

Of course, many might argue that MS-II and MS-III are designed to give you a taste of potential specialties. Well, that’s a valid point. But wouldn’t it be nice to have more than a taste of a particular specialty before uploading your residency applications? I would prefer a whole bite, or a whole piece of the cake for that matter. The summer prior to MS-II is the perfect time to get some hands-on training in different specialties. The information/experience you gather while shadowing a physician in your field of interest, will set the tone for the rest of your medical school experience. Not only will it sparkle on your resume, it will provide you with confidence and direction as you enter rotations.

There are several options when gaining real-world summer medical training. You can participate in a clinical externship, become involved in a community preceptorship, or simply volunteer at a local health clinic—to name a few. There are also national programs such as the National Health Service corps, which offers a month-long rotation practicing primary care in underserved areas. Whichever path you choose, make sure it is in the most appealing specialty to you. While training, talk to various doctors, ask them about their typical work load, scheduling flexibility—whatever questions are most likely unanswered in a text book about that specialty.

But what about your golden, summer tan? Well, there’s always spray tans. Or, you could schedule a week-long vacation at the end of the summer to celebrate all your hard work. You’ll come back refreshed, rested, and better equipped to pick the right specialty.

Okay, future doctors, keep that image in mind as you sit down to write your own personal statement, staring at the blank Word document on your computer screen. You are just one of many hopeful applicants with a hefty research background, great clinical skills, and a solid foundation of medical knowledge. You need something that separates you from all the other over-achievers (probably lovely people, but competition nonetheless) vying for your slot. Do not fear. You have something they do not, something that separates you from the rest: Your story. The time your little brother, Joey, fell of his bike and you nursed him back to health, the time you brought a stethoscope to Mrs. Anderson’s class for show and tell, the time ___________ (fill in the blank).

Personal anecdotes like this are diamonds to the tired residency program director. They shine in the heap of other personal statements, many dull and lifeless. Sure, it’s crucial to include the generic yet important information: Research experience and interests, brief overview of schooling, why you’re drawn to this particular specialty/program, future goals, etc. But there are plenty of empty crannies throughout your personal statement just waiting to be filled with personality. For example, when talking about research experience, can you recall a particular study that stood out from the others? Did it leave an impression on you? Affect the type of doctor you want to become? Why? Elaborate.

A great way for a medical student or foreign medical graduate to add a dash of personality into his or her personal statement is to choose an overall focus directly related to a personal anecdote. Like a ribbon gliding down the page, this overall focus should smoothly connect the different sections of the personal statement. For example, let’s use the show and tell stethoscope. This statement could start in the classroom with a vivid description of the pride you felt in showing the stethoscope to your classmates. Translated, this show and tell item represents your interest in medicine and your desire to share that interest with others. Throughout your personal statement, describe how your interest and desire to practice medicine continuously grew throughout your life. This affords you a structure to discuss medical school, medically related volunteer programs, research experience/interests, grand round experiences, precept activities, and future goals.

While this idea may seem obvious, many medical students and foreign medical graduates chose formality over personality, not understanding the potential that results in your personal statement from connecting the two. Such residency applicants fear that a personal story might appear unprofessional, thus decreasing the likelihood of admittance into their desired residency program. In actuality, quite the opposite is true. The busy (potentially exhausted) residence/fellowship program director wants to be engaged by a well-written, personal personal statement. Wouldn’t you?

Are you posting resumes all over the physician job bards, and can’t understand why you’re not getting interviews?

Have you sent resumes to all of the doctors and hospitals you know personally - and not getting responses?

Take 5 minutes and a few easy steps to improve your search for a physician job!

1. Open your resume. Where is the contact information? Is it at the top of the page where it can be found easily? Your contact information should be included on your resume (not just on the cover letter) and should be very easy to find. It needs to include your phone number and email address.
2. Check the email address on your resume. Is it correct? Is it an email you check at least once a day, if not more often? Many of your potential employers are busy physicians themselves. One of the easiest ways for them to contact another doctor about a job is through email. If you are not in the habit of checking your email every day, get in the habit - at least until you find a job.
3. Check the phone number on your resume. Who will be answering that number? This is the number one mistake we see doctors make in their job search. Is the phone number correct? Is it a number that you can actually be reached on? When you leave your number on your resume, be sure you are not making these common mistakes:
   • Don’t leave your home number if your 93 year-old grandmother who barely speaks English is the person who is most likely to answer the phone during the day.
   • Don’t leave your office number if you don’t want your current employer to know you’re looking for a job.
   • Don’t leave the general number to the hospital that will the caller feeling foolish because they don’t know your personal extension.
   • Don’t leave a number that you’re only available on 1-2 hours out of the day. The goal is to make it EASY for a potential employer to call and offer you a job.
4. Check the voice mail on the number you have on your resume. Is your voice mail set up? Is it full? If a potential employer calls you and is unable to speak to you, they will want to leave a message for you to return their call. If they are unable to leave a message, chances are they’ll move on to the next doctor looking for a job. They can’t hire you if they can’t talk to you.

By doing these simple things, it will be easier for other doctors to call and offer you a job. While this advice may seem obvious, all of these are mistakes that we see physicians make on an alarmingly regular basis.

Remember, if an employer can’t reach you - they can’t hire you.

However, it is very common that we hear from physicians in January and February who are still looking for J-1 waiver jobs for the July and August.

Is it too late for these doctors to find a position and get a J-1 waiver?

Yes and no.

If a physician was hoping to get a J-1 Waiver in some of the more popular states like New York, it is very likely that all of the waivers for the year have been granted by January. That’s why we recommend physicians start their search early!

However, just because an area like New York may have already granted all of their Conrad 30 waivers, does not mean that a physician is destined to return to their home country for a 2 year wait time. It is still possible to continue living and working in the United States, even if the doctor delayed search for a J-1 opportunity.

How can a resident find a J-1 waiver job as late as February or March?

Expand Your Search Geographically.

While it is true that the waiver positions in areas like New York or California fill very quickly, it is also true that areas like Wisconsin or Alabama may have positions open as late as May! If a doctor was hoping to be in a specific state that no longer offers J-1 waivers for the year, the next step is to find the states near by that will be most likely to have spots available.

Is that as good as living and working in your original first choice state or city? Of course not. That’s why we recommend physicians start their search early!

But it’s not too late to find a job if a doctor is ready to start planning smart.

Find a Job.

This may seem obvious, but I am always amazed how many calls I get from physicians who are desperate to get a J-1 waiver before their visa deadlines - and these doctors haven’t even begun their job search!

If it is February or March and a resident does not have a job lined up that qualifies for a waiver, it is time to ramp up the job hunt. Immediately. A doctor who waits for the very last minute is nearly guaranteed to wind up with a poor job and a low salary - or no job (and no visa).

Before a physician can even begin the process of applying for a waiver, they must have secured a position with an employer. If that requires the help of recruiters, networking, or a service like The Doctor Job - the doctor must be willing to do whatever it takes to secure a good job quickly.

Finding a J-1 waiver opportunity is not impossible even as late as February or March. It can be done, but it must be done wisely and quickly!

After years of training and weeks (or months) of job searches, many doctors stop just short of the goal of finding a great job.

This is especially true if they are searching for a doctor job in a market like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago or Atlanta. There are plenty of great physician jobs available in these cities, but most physician job searches quit looking too soon to find them.

When Should A Physician Keep Searching For A Doctor Job?

If A Recruiter Tells A Doctor They’ll “Get Back To You”… Keep Looking

In recruiter language, this is usually code for “I don’t have any positions you qualify for or that meet your needs.” That doesn’t mean the recruiter is mean or doing a bad job. It just means that they are limited to filling the positions they have been hired to fill - and none of those are a good fit. Sure, they’ll keep a doctor’s resume on file in case something “happens to come up” - but the odds of that are about 5%. Less than that if a physician is looking in a big city or isn’t board certified or needs a J-1 waiver.

Relying on a recruiter to “get back to you” is a recipe for failure when a doctor is looking for a job.

If A Recruiter Tells You They Have “Submitted Your Information”… Keep Looking

While this holds slightly more promise than the “I’ll get back to you” brush off, it is still a very far cry from actually getting a job.

It is a recruiter’s job to submit physician resumes to their clients (the employers who hire the recruiter). The employer then decides which candidates they will interview and which doctor they will ultimately hire.

Remember, the practice or hospital doing the hiring will have to pay the recruiter $20,000 or more once they have hired a doctor. Of course they are going to be very selective before making such an expensive buying decision!

If A Doctor Has Scheduled An Interview… Keep Looking

Interviews don’t pay the bills. Nothing is guaranteed until a physician receives a written offer and accepts that offer (and even then, things can go wrong).

While an interview for a physician job is progress, it’s no guarantee that the doctor has a job. Chances are, there will be several physicians interviewing for that position (at least, there should be if it’s a GOOD job!), all of whom are hoping their job search has finally come to an end. Most of the interviewed physicians will be disappointed.

A doctor should go into an interview optimistic and with a positive attitude, but they shouldn’t stop investigating other possibilities or scheduling other interviews.

If A Physician Receives One Job Offer… Keep Looking

One job offer does not give a physician any negotiating power or leverage. It also doesn’t give a very accurate picture of the possibilities and potential in the job market in most cases.

If a physician receives an offer for their dream job that far exceeds their expectations, of course they should take the job! But more often than not, we see doctors take the first job that comes along because they are so grateful to be employed. These physicians don’t realize that there are usually SEVERAL great jobs available in every job market in the country.

Don’t settle for just A job. The doctor job search isn’t over until you’ve found the BEST job.

While it’s true that a recruiter will not charge an initial up-front fee to the doctor for the job search, there are many hidden costs that need to be considered before trusting a recruiter to find you a job.

Lower Salary - recruiters charge, on average, a recruiting fee of $25,000 to the hiring group or practice. That is money that can’t be spent on things like equipment and supplies. It is also money that must come out of the physician staffing budget, often money that would normally be paid to the newly hired doctor in the form of a higher salary, moving expenses, loan reimbursement or sign on bonuses.

Even if the new physician only earns $5,000 a year less than what they would have been able to negotiate without a recruiter, over the course of 2-3 years spent working in that physician job at a lower salary, that’s a loss of over $10,000.

Higher commuting and living expenses - recruiters notoriously place physicians in jobs that are in remote locations, miles from amenities and conveniences like night life and major airports. Often times a physician is forced to work miles from where they choose to live, resulting in lost time and money spent commuting each day.

Even if a physician only commutes 1 hour each way, on a weekly basis that’s more than 10 hours spent driving to and from work. That represents not only a potential loss of income, but quality of life. Do you have any colleagues who have to work miles and miles away from their spouse because a recruiter told them that there were no jobs close to home?

Not Working. The biggest financial cost of relying on a physician recruiter is the high likelihood of never finding a job. According to the American College of Physicians, at least 80% of physician jobs are found without the help of a recruiter. Physicians recruiters only have access to approximately 5% of the total physician job market!

How long can a doctor afford to go without working? Can a new doctor afford to wait 6 months to start earning a salary? What about 1-2 years? Relying on a recruiter for your physician job search can literally end up costing a new doctor hundreds of thousands of dollars in unearned income.

The savvy physician understands that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Everything in life has intrinsic costs, and whether it’s a direct cost to you or an indirect cost over a few years, it is important to see the big picture and make choices that will affect you positively for the whole of your career.