Finding a job in the Philadelphia Metro Area

If you are a doctor who is drawn to a bustling, hodgepodge city complete with cheesesteak sandwiches and narrow streets lined with century-old brick buildings, then consider Philadelphia when choosing your next practice local.  Few cities can boast the amount of history and culture Philadelphia offers.  As the nation’s first capital, Philadelphia acted as a sort of headquarters for America’s founding fathers.  Benjamin Franklin, one such founding father, was a particular Philly advocate and created the colonies’ first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, in Philadelphia.

Traces of this city’s rich history can still be seen today.  Whether you’re standing in Independence Hall—the setting where both the Declaration of Independence and the United State Constitution were signed—or strolling down Society Hill, a neighborhood famous for its refurbished 18th century homes.  In fact, many of Philly’s historical buildings have been renovated to reflect bygone charm while offering a dash of modern convenience, such as central air and heat.

Also offering a taste of historical culture, Philadelphia’s many art museums are popular visiting sites for the art savvy doctor.  The first Friday of the month, appropriately called “First Friday,” museums in the Old City are open late for visitors.  The Rodin Museum offers the largest collection of Auguste Rodin works available outside of France; walking through the entry courtyard, museum guests  pass the artist’s most famous work of art, The Thinker—a meditative man whose image has become synonymous with philosophy.  Another Philly museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art to be exact, has become a pop-culture icon due to Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky, and his famous run up the museum’s grand steps.

If you are a physician who is more attracted to performing arts, Philly has a thriving music scene with anything from rock to jazz.  It also served as the host city for the Live Aid concert at the John F. Kennedy Stadium and the Live 8 concert at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

And let’s not forget the physicians who would rather spend their time tailgating instead of strolling through a museum.  Philadelphia is one of the few states to boast a team in all four of the major league sports: football, basketball, baseball, and hockey.  Each team has garnered a loyal fan base by winning at least one championship game.  Philly also supports a host of slightly-less-mainstream sports including cricket and rugby.  Often these obscure sporting events can be even more entertaining and exciting than their mainstream counterparts.  Plus, if your spouse would rather go shopping at a nearby boutique or see a movie, you can always explain that watching a game like cricket is an “educational and cultural experience for the entire family.”  The key is to say it with confidence.

While sports don’t necessarily excite every doctor, medicine usually does.  Philly is known as a medicine mecca, and has been since Franklin’s, Pennsylvania Hospital.  In fact, health care is the largest sector of employment in Philadelphia.  The University of Pennsylvania runs an extensive medical education and training program with several area hospital affiliates including Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, and Thomas Jefferson University.  Philadelphia also has three established children's hospitals: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Christopher's Hospital, and the Shriners' Hospital. 

So, regardless of your medicine specialty, Philadelphia provides ample opportunity to practice in a diverse setting against a colorful and cultural backdrop.