2020
LOOK INSIDE! Compensation in Times of Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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The Introvert’s Guide to Job Search Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P 8 Is It Time to Look for a New Job? Six Ways to Know, and Six Steps to Take . . . . P 12 From Residency to Practice: Getting Started Without a Fellowship . . . . . . . P 14
October Issue • Job Listings • Career Articles
N eurologists o pportuNities Located in Beautiful Northern California Sutter Medical Group is currently seeking BE/BC adult neurologists, neurointensivists, neurohospitalists, and advanced practice clinicians to join established practices throughout the Sacramento-Sierra region of California. Sutter Medical Group is a successful, 1000+ member multi-specialty group offering physicians the opportunity to build their practices within a progressive, financially sound and collaborative organization. SMG is recognized as a Top Performing Physician Group by the Integrated Healthcare Association. Our members are dedicated to providing the highest quality and most complete health care possible to the people in the communities we serve in the greater Sacramento Sierra Region of Amador, Placer, Sacramento, Solano and Yolo Counties. Join us and enjoy:
Income guarantee with shareholder track Generous compensation and benefits, including 401(k) Advanced practice technology, including Electronic Medical Records A positive work-life balance and Northern California’s natural beauty and lifestyle
The Sacramento Sierra Region offers all the advantages of living in Northern California. The region offers cultural diversity, as well as ample outdoor activities including river rafting, skiing, and biking. Centrally located, you are just an hour and a half from the mountains of Lake Tahoe or the bay of San Francisco. For the wine connoisseur, scenic Napa Valley is just a short drive away.
Michelle Pedler, Physician Recruiter Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region,2750 Gateway Oaks, Sacramento, CA 95833, (800) 650-0625, develops@sutterhealth.org, www.checksutterfirst.org
Neurology Career Opportunities NORTON NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE is recruiting multiple board-certified or board-eligible physicians for its comprehensive program in Louisville, Kentucky. The ideal candidates will have an opportunity to join a collaborative team of more than 65 subspecialty neuroscience providers. Career opportunities are available in the following programs: y General neurology
y Epilepsy
y Movement disorders
y Neuromuscular
y Stroke
y Headache
ABOUT NORTON NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE
LEADER in using innovative and cutting-edge technology and robotics
y Behavioral/memory Each opportunity includes a competitive compensation package, including sign-on bonus, relocation assistance and a production bonus option. For candidates coming out of residency/fellowship, we offer loan reimbursement. For experienced candidates relocating into the market, we offer a retention bonus.
To discuss this opportunity, contact Angela Elliott, senior recruiter, physicians, Norton Medical Group, at (859) 613-1984 or angela.elliott@nortonhealthcare.org.
Participating in more than
100 GREAT 130 RESEARCH STUDIES
over the past decade
Norton Healthcare is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veteran/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
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Named one of
neurosurgery and spine programs by BECKER’S HOSPITAL REVIEW
Compensation in Times of Change KEEPING UP WITH CHANGES IN PHYSICIAN PAY If you think the practice of medicine has been changing fast, that’s nothing compared to changes in compensation for the practice of medicine. It used to be, in the not-so-distant past, that physicians would receive a contract outlining an offer with such things as how much call they would take, their allotted vacation time and, yes, their salary. Negotiating, if the doctor chose to do it, was largely a matter of trying to improve the numbers on the contract.
Compensation models are changing The basics of this process haven’t changed—there’s still a contract, an offer, and items such as vacation and call to review before negotiating or signing. But salary? According to Melissa Yu, MD, FAAN, that model of compensation may no longer dominate. As vice chair of the subcommittee that oversees that group (the practice management and technology subcommittee) she has seen a wide variance in pay models other than just strict salary. To be sure, some of the variations in compensation methodology Yu experienced were tied to changes she initiated. For example, when Yu moved to academia after eight years in private practice, (she’s now an associate professor in Baylor College of Medicine’s Department of Neurology), she naturally entered into a different
payment model for her work. Before making that switch in 2012, her compensation was frequently affected by adjustments in how Medicare payments were made. But even in the traditionally stable academic sector, Yu has seen changes. Indeed, her added administrative responsibilities have exposed her to the compensation planning process at her institution. Yu’s conclusion from all of these experiences, direct and indirect? “The age of the guaranteed, straight salary is decreasing,” she says. Replacing it? “We’re seeing more ties to metrics. Whether it’s clinical productivity, quality measures or patient satisfaction, physicians in general are just being measured more.” In short, if you’re not already experiencing this, you can expect at least some of your compensation in the future to be tied to your performance metrics.
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What do the salary surveys tell us?
Advice for physicians, new and experienced
Like Yu, Brad Klein, MD, MBA, FAAN, has devoted significant attention to the topic of physician compensation. As chair of the Academy’s Medical Economics and Practice Committee and as a member of the AAN Board of Directors, his leadership roles have long been entwined with this issue. In particular, he says, he participated in designing some of the early benchmark compensation surveys conducted by AAN in 2013. Although he’s not part of the work committee charged with developing the upcoming biennial survey, Klein says he can empathize with the challenge of revising the questions to match the rapidly evolving compensation picture currently being experienced by physicians. One thing he doesn’t worry about is the breadth of response. The last survey (published in early 2020, using 2019 data) captured information from more than 3,200 respondents, including 2,700 neurologists, 474 advanced practice professionals, and 71 practice managers. “It’s the largest neurology compensation benchmark available,” Klein notes.
It’s one thing to learn about compensation models, but something else entirely to make good use of the knowledge. For example, how might a doctor who prefers a guaranteed salary negotiate a hospital contract based on productivity? Since compensation structures represent complex organizational decisions in most cases, it’s not likely this candidate will influence a change in the model itself. But it may be possible to negotiate how some of the productivity is measured, or what percentage of the overall compensation will be based on the metrics. Another option? Klein notes that individuals who prefer a specific compensation method might find themselves better served by matching their preferred model to the type of position it’s likely to be found in. This strategy, he notes, can sometimes shift according to the stage someone is at in their career.
This robust response is important on several levels, not the least of which is simple volume. When more people participate, Klein says, “We can communicate with each other that you’re in the ballpark with what you’re earning or what you’re offering.” As chief operating officer of Abington Neurological Associates and medical director of Abington Headache Center in Pennsylvania, Klein relies on the AAN physician compensation survey to provide a reference point for his own work. “I’m in private practice, so I’m always intrigued to see how people are paying their physicians,” he says. “Just running a private practice, as I’ve done for over a decade now, it helps me to see where I’m doing a good job and where I’m not.” Klein explains that he was just as likely to reference the survey when he was an employee as he is now in his role as an employer. Although questions and categories may shift as the current work committee completes the next survey, doctors who haven’t participated in past years might be surprised at the number and variety of compensation models presented for selection by respondents. In addition to the guaranteed salary that used to be more common, there are several options combining salary with a quality bonus or a production bonus, or both. Physicians can also indicate they are compensated based on productivity alone, or that they are paid an equal share of a practice’s compensation pool. Even with all of these options, the survey can’t possibly represent every compensation model used by employers in today’s complex market. Indeed, more than one process might exist within the same organization, depending on the level or type of work assigned to the physician. In his practice, Klein has developed three different contracts, reflecting varying scenarios as the individual potentially rises to the partner level. What ties the three contracts together, he says, is an underlying approach of productivity and communal compensation. As he explains, “We want to reward you for working hard—productivity—but we also want you to support each other, since different doctors practice different aspects of neurology and some fields pay more than others.” In this system, Klein says, 60 percent of what a doctor generates goes to their productivity credit and 40 percent goes into the communal pot, to be divided among the doctors. While everyone gets paid a lower regular salary that accommodates the practice’s ups and downs, at the end of the year the productivity and communal amounts are calibrated for overhead and paid out appropriately to each doctor.
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As he explains, “If a guaranteed salary is important to you, that is more likely to happen in academia, but if you’re in a private practice, it’s more likely you’ll be offered salary plus a productivity bonus. Those who are younger may be less efficient in seeing patients and more worried about paying loans, starting a family, etc. may find higher base salaries more palatable. Whereas, if you are further along in your career, may be more financially stable, and can leverage your efficiencies to be more financially productive, the bonus model might work better. It’s not to say private practice can’t work for anyone, but it is important that the potential employee and employer talk candidly about their needs.” For the majority of neurologists who work in patient care, quality metrics are bound to play a role in compensation. As Klein puts it, “This is where it gets dicey. When their compensation is tied to quality, individuals need to understand how those measures are determined and that they are accurate.” He adds, “It can be a very challenging prospect to demonstrate quality in a meaningful way. Ideally the employer is using AAN guidelines and can assess the individual neurologist. However, in some organizations, the neurologist may not have control over quality metrics nor cost containment and their reimbursement may be impacted by work done by their primary care colleagues, hospital, or other care providers in the community.” To navigate a system in which the neurologist’s metrics might be enmeshed with those of other care providers, Klein recommends that candidates learn more about the department they’re planning to join. For example, how did the department or the average neurologist do in terms of quality metrics or bonuses in the past year? As he says, “At the two extremes: if the department is measured and doing well, and the last bonus reflects it, then that’s a good sign. If the bonus is low, or the department ‘s measures are poor, then that’s a bad sign. The gray area may be if the department is beholden to the system for their bonus, where there is less internal control.” “That will give you a good sense. If everyone’s getting a 98 percent response and a 98 percent bonus, that’s a good sign. But if it’s spread out all over the place, that can be a bad sign.” Dr. Yu also recommends that candidates take the time to assess their risk tolerance at different stages of their career. “Starting out,” she says, “you’re not going to be as productive, as efficient, so there’s risk in a productivity-based plan.” On the other hand, she warns against the lure of a high starting salary in the offer “because sometimes there’s a catch to that. If there was an income guarantee and you decided to leave, you may have to pay it back.”
Like Klein, Yu also notes the challenge in being compensated according to metrics. In her role as a physician informaticist, she acts as an interpreter to the IT staff, helping them ask for the data in a way that honors the actual work being performed by the doctor. As she explains, it’s easier to report process measures—“Yes, I did this, I counseled the patient with epilepsy about this medication”— than it is to report outcome measures, such as less eye damage for a patient whose diabetes is under control. While doctors may not be able to control which measures are requested and compensated for, Yu advises they can educate themselves on how to bill and document appropriately, so that they are accurately claiming the measures they are achieving. “That’s not taught to a huge degree in residency,” she says, “but the AAN has lots of resources on that. You need to be sure that you’re capturing what you’re actually doing and billing to the most appropriate level that you can.”
It’s not all about the paycheck As a final piece of advice, Yu recommends a closer look at the overall contract before choosing one position over another. “Look at all the other, non-salary ways you’re going to be compensated, such as CMEs, paid vacation, tuition reimbursement, insurance, health, and dental. If practice A is going to give you X dollars and practice B is offering 10 percent more but without the extra benefits, you can’t compare those as apples to apples.” Along the same lines, Klein advises tracking monthly expenses for the first year or two in a new job, to ensure financial viability. This exercise will help sound the alarm if the income isn’t meeting expenses such as student loans. On the other hand, it may also demonstrate something unexpected—the ability to work fewer days, for example.
themselves to productivity compensation models. These would be like, ‘I kept the patient out of the hospital.’ That’s good, but now the neurohospitalist won’t see that patient. As those models become more prominent, we’re going to be looking again at compensation. How will the neurohospitalist be compensated if they don’t see the patient in the hospital?” While some trends and disrupters may be prompted by health care practices or broader compensation issues, Klein is paying attention to a quickening change rooted in justice issues: parity in pay regardless of gender or race. As he notes, there is work to be done in both areas. “There is data that there is a gender differential in compensation,” he says. “Trying to understand that better is a critical detail that we have to address. We, as a society, haven’t done due diligence in racial bias and it’s way overdue to be looked at in compensation.” This short list undoubtedly doesn’t cover all of the changes bubbling just above or below the visible surface of compensation for neurologic care, but it does exemplify one point made by both Klein and Yu: health care and the way it’s compensated is undergoing rapid and constant change, making it critical that doctors maintain the ability to adjust to new realities. And, regardless of how a doctor is compensated, now or in the future, it seems clear that the days of simply negotiating a higher salary every year or two are long past. Paying attention to the organization’s bottom line and the market in general will have to become second nature as doctors build their careers in the years to come. n
Trends and disrupters No matter what a physician may learn about compensation, or which models an organization may employ, something will always come along to upset the apple cart. Some disrupters happen in slow motion, while others—think COVID-19—strike like an out-of-theblue lightning bolt. And sometimes a disrupting force will attach to a slower-moving trend. That’s the scenario playing out with telemedicine and the coronavirus pandemic. While neurologists and other health care providers have conducted remote health care services for decades, it has always been a small piece of the puzzle—and one that was difficult to monetize besides. Now, in a matter of only a few weeks, telemedicine has become a primary conduit for delivering neurological health care—and those in charge of compensating for medical services are scrambling to keep pace. Yu explains it this way: “Up until March 15 or so, the use of telemedicine in outpatient neurology was pretty limited because of insurance rules and reimbursement models. Then it exploded in terms of temporary coverage by insurers when we wanted everybody to stay home. Now we’re all holding our breath to see what’s going to happen with that coverage.” While Yu feels certain that the coverage is here to stay (“I think the genie is out of the bottle on virtual services.”), Klein anticipates that the rate of reimbursement may drop in the future, which would affect the compensation received by neurologists. Another compensation trend Yu has been tracking may be less affected by the pandemic, except that it may be slowed somewhat in developing. “We keep hearing that value-based care for different payment models may be coming, for the things that may not lend
NEUROLOGY PHYSICIAN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Memorial Healthcare System, located in South Florida, continues to grow and is actively recruiting adult neurologists in various subspecialties. These are employed positions with the multispecialty Memorial Physician Group. The full-time positions offer competitive benefits and compensation packages that are commensurate with training and experience. Professional malpractice and medical liability are covered under sovereign immunity.
About Memorial Healthcare System
Memorial Healthcare System is one of the largest public healthcare systems in the United States. A national leader in quality care and patient satisfaction, Memorial has ranked 11 times since 2008 on nationally recognized lists of great places to work. Memorial’s work environment has been rated by employees and physicians alike as an open-door, inclusive culture that is committed to safety, transparency and, above all, outstanding service to patients and families. Located in South Florida, residents enjoy a high quality of life – including year-round summer weather, exciting multiculturalism and no state income tax. To see job descriptions and/or to submit your CV for consideration, please visit memorialphysician.com. Additional information about Memorial Healthcare System can be found at mhs.net.
LIVE. WORK. PLAY. memorialphysician.com
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Live, Work, Play in North Carolina
Cone Health is seeking additional Neurologists for its growing Neurohospitalists team in Greensboro, N.C. Located in NC’s 3rd largest city, Moses Cone Hospital is a 628-bed tertiary care teaching hospital and Comprehensive Stroke Center. Ideal candidates are preferably fellowship-trained in Vascular, Neurophysiology, or Epilepsy, and proficient with acute stroke management. • Competitive salary in mid-$300K range with Quality Incentives & Signing Bonus • 7 On/7 off schedule; 12-hour shifts; with NO Call • Consulting Service with support from: Neuro APP; 24-hr Neuroradiology; Vascular Neurologist & Epileptologist • 18-bed Neuro ICU; Collegial Neurointerventionalists; Epic EMR; Can sponsor H1B Visa
• Opportunities for Teaching & Stroke Research • Great team culture, co-led by Medical Director & Administrator • 2-hr drive to the mountains & 3-hr drive from beaches; 90 miles of trails for hiking, biking and walking; plus an International airport
Contact me regarding this amazing opportunity!
Donna Talbert | Donna.Talbert@ConeHealth.com
Chicago •
ILLINOIS • Decatur
It Feels Better to Belong to a Group. Highly respected Neurology team is looking for the next great Neurologist to join their team in Springfield, O’Fallon & Effingham, IL. To learn more about this opportunity, please visit www.HSHSMedicalGroup.org.
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Springfield
Effingham • • O’Fallon • St. Louis
Polly Pierce Provider Recruiter o: 217-492-6179 Polly.Pierce@hshs.org
Join our nationally recognized Neuroscience program in vibrant Springfield, Missouri. Opportunities include: ∙ General Neurology ∙ Neuro-Hospitalist
∙ Movement Disorders ∙ Neuroimmunology
Michelle Freeman, Physician Recruiter ∙ michelle.freeman1@coxhealth.com ∙ 1-800-869-4201 ∙ www.coxhealth.com
Ochsner Health is seeking BC/BE Neurologists to join us in South Louisiana in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Covington. Both newly trained and experienced physicians are encouraged to apply.
This is a great opportunity to practice neurology in a collegial and patient-focused environment. Academic appointments are available at our affiliated institutions, including Tulane, LSU, and the University of Queensland. The Department of Neurology is a member of the Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, ranked as one of the top 50 Neuroscience Centers by the U.S. News and World Report rankings. The Ochsner Neuroscience Institute has the busiest comprehensive stroke center and one of the largest comprehensive spine centers in the region. We have the largest Neuro-ICU consisting of 40 beds, Epilepsy Center of Excellence with EMU monitoring unit and one of the busiest movement disorder programs in the region. Please join the virtual career fair to meet our physician recruiters! Interested physicians should apply to www.ochsner.org/physician Sorry, no J1 visa opportunities.
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The Introvert’s Guide to Job Search Success If you’re an introvert, chances are job searching makes you uncomfortable. Not that anyone really likes to look for work. Most people would rather skip this process if they could, but for introverts that sentiment seems to count double. If this describes you, a word of caution: You could find yourself saying yes to the first thing that comes along—whether or not it’s the best job for you—just for the relief of being done with your search. That’s not a great reason to cement a decision that will impact the career you’ve worked so hard to build. So, what’s the better plan? Take a few minutes now to read about each part of the job search process, and tips to improve your strategy for those steps. As with other life challenges, you’ll likely find that practice and small successes in the early steps will set the stage for overcoming your reluctance. And even if parts of the process still make you uncomfortable, now you’ll have the confidence to know you can implement strategies to get the result you want.
Networking: Mastering the art of small talk We’re starting with the part of job search that makes introverts cringe: Chatting for the sake of chatting. Of course, it’s really chatting for the sake of bonding and getting to know each other, but that doesn’t make it any more comfortable to do. These tips for
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managing small talk will help not only with your job search, but with other situations where you need to be both social and professional at the same time.
Start the conversation yourself. If you jump in first, the other person will not guess that you’re uncomfortable. This will be easier if you think of a few topics in advance. As you’d guess, politics and
other polarizing subjects should be ruled out, but non-controversial medical topics or points of local interest will serve you well.
Show interest in others. If you know the names of your networking partners in advance of the conversation, you can look them up online to gather clues about their interests and background. Then you can introduce a topic that takes the spotlight off you: “I saw from your hospital profile that you trained in Quebec. How did you decide to come here for your fellowship?”
Keep the ball rolling. Small-talk conversations don’t need to go on and on, but you should strive for at least two or three volleys before lapsing into silence. That’s about the minimum needed if the conversation is going to take off. To aid in this goal, you’ll need to respond when the other person speaks, ideally with something that encourages more conversation, such as “I didn’t know that” or “I’d be interested in hearing more about that.”
Come around to the point. If there’s something you need to know from your conversational partner, you’ll have to take the lead to ensure that happens. After a couple of warm-up points, it’s fine to jump in with your direct request: “I’m glad we’re talking because there’s something I need to ask you. I’ve been thinking about working at a hospital like the one you’re at, and I’d be interested in your perspective on what that’s been like for you.”
Job leads: Personalizing an impersonal process It may be counter-intuitive, but it’s not always smart for an introverted person to rely on electronic processes and email correspondence when conducting a job search. Although these methods are efficient, they can become a crutch for anyone who feels uncomfortable in conversations with people they don’t know. Worse, too many rounds of emails and online applications could harm the introvert’s confidence or actual performance in interviews. The solution? Use online tools strategically, but not exclusively. Here’s an example: Suppose you want to be a hospitalist in the southwestern United States. It’s logical to watch the job postings online at the AAN Career Center, and to set up a Job Alert with your criteria so that new listings come to your inbox automatically. That’s smart use of the technology. But now what? If you simply complete an online application or send your CV automatically, you are being efficient but you’re also ceding control of the timing for the next interaction. You likely will be contacted at some random point in the coming weeks and perhaps be put on the spot if someone starts a “soft interview” by calling after you apply. Instead, consider that if you’re the one making the first call, you can control the conversation and the timing. Another way to use the postings to your advantage is to watch them for several weeks while you discern the similarities and differences in what employers are requesting. This is a good strategy for anyone, but for the introvert it’s especially helpful to have a heads-up on where a conversation with the recruiter might
go. And speaking of recruiters, here’s a great way to personalize the process of following leads: Build a relationship with one or two recruiters representing your specialty or desired employers, then connect with them for assistance or advice when you see a position you favor. By feeling more connected to a few individuals, you’ll feel more confident sending a text to clarify a point or making a quick call when you need information.
Letters and CVs: Providing the “warm” details Does your CV read like a factual list of educational experiences, with a few publications and presentations thrown in? That’s the bare minimum and it’s fine—if you don’t mind playing 20 questions with each and every interviewer. Consider that the more information you provide on your materials, the more you can “warm up” your in-person interaction later. This benefits you by taking some of the conversational burden off your shoulders during interviews and phone conversations. As a second advantage, it gives the interviewer or recruiter a head start on knowing you more fully. A primary rule for success in a job search is that people hire people they like—and they like people they feel they know something about.
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Extra Credit: Lunch Meetings and Tours Most candidates, introverts or not, can find a way through standard interviews without too much added strain. That’s because the agenda is in someone else’s hands and the candidate can revert to simply answering questions if it becomes too difficult to generate a conversational give-and-take. But that Q&A safety net dissolves when the format changes to a lunch meeting or hospital tour. As an introvert, if you can prepare yourself to survive these events, you’ll be ready for anything. These tips will help: n When possible, review the restaurant’s menu online in advance of the meeting. This gives you the opportunity to make a logical choice (no finger food, not the most expensive item, etc.) without the pressure of having others watch you decide. n Don’t become overly absorbed in your meal. For introverts, it’s tempting to be eyes-down when you have a plateful of food to focus on. Resist that urge and keep your attention on the others, even if it means not finishing your food. n Enjoy the tour without struggling to converse with everyone you meet. You’ll be doing well if you can say something short and positive to most of the people you’re introduced to (“I’m impressed with how bright and sunny this wing is.”). Anything beyond that is definitely extra credit.
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Here are some of the things you can add to your CV to help the interviewer get to know you through your paperwork: An initial summary or profile providing a few sentences about your goals and interests; job descriptions for your fellowships and residency that give the scope of your work and details about your responsibilities; a section for committees or other nonclinical duties; a section for volunteer activities; and a section listing a few of your personal interests. Does this seem like a lot of information that isn’t strictly necessary? That’s exactly the point. These are things you’re going to be asked in the interview, so having them already represented on your CV gives you a chance to influence and anticipate the specifics of the conversation. Instead of being asked, “Tell us what you do with your free time,” you might instead be asked, “How did you get interested in playing rugby?” For an introvert, answering a specific question is often less
stressful than being given an open-ended query. You can apply the same strategy to cover letters by providing an example of your training or experience that relates to criteria from the posting. When you do this, instead of simply saying “I meet all the criteria requested,” you give the interviewer something specific to focus on. Again, having a hint about what the conversation might cover (because you essentially planted the topic) lets you feel more confident.
Shrug off your worries One quality many introverts share is the tendency to think things through very deeply. This is obviously a good practice when it comes to patient care or other medical duties. But it actually can be a hindrance to process-oriented tasks such as a job search. When you think too deeply or long about job search steps, the result tends to be inertia. Once your initial research and strategizing are complete, there’s little added value to rethinking things. You’ll need to trust that your preparation will be enough, and that you can find a way to recover if it turns out it wasn’t. As the saying goes, the only way forward is through. Might as well jump in and get started; after awhile, you just might discover you’re better at this than you thought you’d be. n
JOIN OUR COMPASSIONATE TEAM
TRUE BLUE GENERAL NEUROLOGIST & EPILEPTOLOGIST OPPORTUNITIES Metro Health – University of Michigan Health is seeking full time, permanent BE/BC Neurologist and BE/BC Epileptologist to join a growing, functional neuroscience program.
616.252.4765 10
physicianservices@metrogr.org | metrohealth.net/recruiting
TOWER HEALTH IS HIRING NEUROLOGISTS
FOR THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING NEUROSCIENCE CENTER Due to extensive growth, expanding volume, and community need, we are seeking talented Neurologists in the following specialties: n
n n n n
Autoimmune/ Multiple Sclerosis Cognitive General Movement Disorder Neuro-Hospitalist
n n n n n
Tower Health will also expand upon its mission to provide high-quality education by starting a Neurology Residency Program in the near future, as well as to continue to support and teach medical students during their electives. Throughout the health system, Tower Health provides many opportunities from which Neurology candidates can choose and grow with our expanding Neuroscience program.
Neuro-Muscular Neuro-Ophthalmology Sleep Medicine Stroke Medical Director Vascular
Drexel University and Tower Health have partnered to open a four-year School of Medicine in West Reading, near the Reading Hospital campus, which is scheduled to open in 2021 and will train 200 medical school students.
Tower Health Neuroscience Center is a multisubspecialty clinical service line addressing the needs in the seven Tower Health hospitals in four counties of Southeast PA.
What We Offer: n n
The expanding Neuroscience Center has hired 25+ physicians spanning our entire service line within the past five years. It includes fellowshiptrained physicians in vascular neurosurgery, vascular neurology, movement disorders, sleep, epilepsy, neuro-muscular, and spine, as well as pain management providers.
n n n n
Competitive Compensation Exceptional Health Insurance and Benefits Educational Loan Assistance Relocation Assistance 403b (matching) and 457b Retirement Plans Spousal/Domestic Partner Job Search Support
For more information, contact:
Kenneth (Nick) Nichols, Senior Physician Recruiter 484-628-6581 • Kenneth.Nichols@towerhealth.org
Careers.TowerHealth.org At Tower Health, we are an Equal Opportunity Employer who is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment that is reflective of the communities we serve.
Regional Leader in Neurology Seeks New Partner in Surprisingly Sophisticated River City
Everyone that works with Bon Secours Mercy Health is called to make a difference. We are a health care network driven by the strength of our people. Join us on our mission to help our patients be well in mind, body, and spirit.
Discover a career where you can be you.
Bon Secours Mercy Health is centered on providing excellent and compassionate care through exceptional people.
We are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our communities through common values, a history of faith, and grace.
Emily Wilson, Provider Recruitment Manager-Kentucky Markets — eswilson@mercy.com Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital — www.mercy.com/paducah
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Is It Time to Look for a New Job? Six Ways to Know, and Six Steps to Take A lot is written about job search for new graduates, and that’s a good thing. After a dozen or more years of education and intensive training, the last thing most residents and fellows feel prepared for is CV writing or interviewing with an HR panel. Still, if you’re an experienced neurologist ready to find new work, you may be looking back on those days with nostalgia. The confusion you felt then may be nothing compared to what you’re experiencing now. For one thing, it’s difficult to know if you should be looking for work at all. Unlike a new graduate, neurologists already in the workforce generally don’t “need” to find a new job. Unless there’s a compelling catalyst, such as a pending relocation for a spouse’s career, a working neurologist could stay right where they are and never actually move forward on a change. Following are six ways to know if it’s time to switch things up, and six steps to take if you decide to move forward.
It’s probably time to seek new work if… ...if you know you’ll be relocating. Some moves can be made without a job change, but many can’t. If you’ve already explored options for staying in your current role, such as telecommuting or creative scheduling that lets you fly back to
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your new home for extended weekends, you may have to conclude that it won’t be possible to keep this position after you move your household. …if your current employer is expanding. Even if you’re happy with your current position, ignoring new opportunities for growth when they open up in front of you isn’t smart career management. When you learn of your current employer’s plans, you’d be wise to initiate a conversation with an administrator whose judgment—and confidentiality—you can trust. An early exploration doesn’t have to result in action if you choose otherwise, but a late exploration might mean there’s no option left for you to consider. …if you’re tired of what you’re doing. You don’t need your medical training to know that burnout is real. When you start feeling reluctant to head into work or stop feeling interested in the patients or projects assigned to you, something
needs to change. Whether you make a switch to something else with your current employer, or you move on altogether, this is one of those situations that probably won’t resolve on its own.
for a refresher on the specifics is before you launch an outbound search. Even for internal roles, your contract may play a part in determining what’s possible and on what kind of timeline.
…if you’re ready for a new challenge.
4. Revise your CV to reflect your experience and goals. Want to know the most consistent mistake made by experienced doctors when searching for new work? That would be conducting the search as if they were new graduates. The job search is one of those processes that must flex with the candidate. As you gain experience and credibility in your field, you need to update your processes to be more sophisticated. While it might be evident that this would include a higher level of networking, it’s easy to underestimate the power of a well-revised CV. In this day of electronic search, a CV that defines the contributions you would make (and not just the factual outline of the places you’ve worked) can act as an advance agent to increase an employer’s interest—while possibly opening their pocketbook a bit wider.
For some doctors, the variety inherent in seeing new patients or conducting new research brings enough challenge to keep things fresh. But others may feel as if they’re on a treadmill in terms of having mastered the primary tasks or tools in their current role. When this happens, you’re wise to pay attention. Not feeling challenged can morph into burnout or other negative feelings that are counter-productive for your career. …if you never meant to stay this long in the first place. Did you take a fellowship in stroke and then find yourself in a general neurology setting for your first job? On its face, that can be an excellent career move, particularly if you’ve been paying down loans while also gaining good experience and knowledge. But as time passes and you move further from your specialized training, it makes sense to check in on your career path. If too much time passes, it could be difficult to return to your original goal. …if something changes in your workplace that you can’t tolerate. Whether the new element is a set of policies or administrators that clash with your values, or a change in the workload, or even something that impacts your salary—the nature of the change only matters in terms of your problem-solving as you look for ways to accommodate the new situation. If you find that you can’t make peace with how things are shifting, you may have to be the one to make a shift.
Six steps to take when preparing to change jobs 1. Define what you want next. If your reason for changing jobs is to leave a situation that you don’t like, you have a problem: Escape is not a career plan. Unless you take time to dig into your career and life goals, you risk hopping from one tenuous situation to another. Neurologists who are making the change for positive reasons are not excused from this exercise, by the way. For any job seeker, in any profession, the truth remains: Defining your job goal shortens your search while helping ensure you get something you truly want. 2. Set a timeline. Everyone knows that deadlines are motivating. For residents and fellows anticipating graduation in a few months, the sense of deadline is built-in, but for those already in the workforce, an opposite force is at play—inertia. To avoid having your process drag on (especially the initial decision), it’s helpful to have at least a loose timeline for its completion and the steps in between. As a guideline, anywhere from six to 12 months would be a very common length for the process of choosing and starting new work.
5. Look internally, if possible. If your reason for changing jobs is not tied to leaving this employer or location, then why not poke around inside your organization before making an outward move? If you find something that suits, you’ll have the advantage of uninterrupted benefits and a platform of immediately relevant experience to build on. Caution is advised, of course, as you’ll need to determine if tipping your hand could result in any negative feelings or repercussions in your current role. 6. Get help for an external search. If your course for leaving is certain, you’ll soon find yourself in an interesting bind. The more in-demand you might be, the more you’ll wish for privacy in making your inquiries. After all, it’s not a great business-builder to have your current patients switch doctors after hearing you “might” not be there next year. The need for confidentiality, combined with a limited pool of free time, is enough to say you should probably engage the help of outside recruiters or consultants. To find one, you can start by asking for a referral from former colleagues who have made a move. Or, reach out directly to a recruiter specializing in the placement of neurologists. However you handle this, remember that your goal is not to give someone else carte blanche to “place” you. Rather, think of this as dividing up the duties, where the person acting as your agent helps locate initial leads and then contacts potential employers on your behalf in a confidential manner. You’ll still need to set aside time for interviews and tours, not to mention research to assure yourself this is an organization you want be part of. When it comes to making the decision, only you can determine if the role will match what you want next in your career. n
3. Review your contract. If you are under a non-compete, or any other stricture covering your current or future work, the best time
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From Residency to Practice: Getting Started Without a Fellowship With the practice of neurology becoming more complex by the minute, there’s a lot of pressure on physicians to follow up their neurology residency with even more specialized instruction in the form of a fellowship. Reasons to advance to this next level of training range from the desire (or need) to become an expert in a specified area of practice, to the fear of not being hired for key positions without one. But not everyone follows the same path, and not every good job requires candidates to have fellowship training. Heather Schweizer, DO, is an example of a successful neurologist whose formal education did not include a fellowship. That’s partly by design—she did review the option but decided against it—but also by lack of design. That is, unlike some of her colleagues and friends who entered medical school with a plan for each stage of their career, Schweizer took a more laconic approach. “I’m not really ‘Type A,’” she said, “So I’m okay with plans changing and trying things out.” That’s a life approach Schweizer applied to her training path as well. Although she is happily positioned now as the stroke medical director for The Villages Regional Hospital in Florida, she wasn’t even aware of neurology as an area of practice when she first entered her residency at Larkin Community Hospital in Miami. Despite having enjoyed the subject during medical school, neurology as a professional track wasn’t on her radar. “I thought I
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was going to do family medicine when I went to Larkin,” she said. “I didn’t even know they had neurology in my residency program, and then a spot opened up in my second year, so I decided to apply.” As luck would have it, Schweizer was entering a newly-evolving program at Larkin, getting in on the ground floor as the hospital was developing its neurology rotations. This gave her and fellow residents the opportunity to provide feedback and help shape the program as rotations were added. Even so, she still didn’t have specific plans for the direction her career would take—she just wanted to continue learning about the subject that had held her attention so well during medical school. Nevertheless, Schweizer began to explore the question of fellowships. Over the next couple of years, she inquired with different attending physicians about the fellowships they’d taken and how they thought their careers had benefited. The answers were mixed, which was enough to give her pause. Some of the attendings told her they don’t use their fellowship training in their work—an answer she found most frequently among the outpatient and general neurohospitalists. The prospect of having a fellowship “not pay off” was especially daunting to Schweizer. “It was a difficult decision financially because I don’t come from a lot of money,” she said. “I had $400,000 in loans, so to take another year digging into that hole, it had to be worth it for me. But the other problem was that I didn’t
have any passion for any subspecialty. I love neurology as a whole.” Schweizer decided to take her chances on the job market without a fellowship, a gamble that paid off when her former residency chief tapped her on the shoulder to apply at The Villages. Schweizer answered the invitation and soon found herself employed in the largest retirement community in the country, where she discovered there were literally more golf carts than cars on the roads. “They call it Disneyland for adults,” she said with a laugh. She started as a general neurohospitalist, a position she loved immediately for its variety. “I like having a bunch of different things to see on a daily basis,” she noted. “I like the problem solving. I feel like being a neurohospitalist lets you specialize in diagnosis and problem solving, and then you get to send it out for specialists.” Not long after—a year, to be exact—the stroke position opened and Schweizer jumped on the opportunity. Even though this role would more commonly go to someone with a fellowship in vascular neurology or a related specialty, Schweizer thought she could be a viable candidate. “I felt confident in my education and the knowledge I had already gained from my work,” she said. Schweizer also believes the modest size of the community helped keep her in the running, noting that she might have needed a fellowship to vie for a similar role at a larger facility. One way or the other, Schweizer got the job and she stepped up to lead the stroke program for a community hospital only one year out of residency. Since the population of The Villages skews old—most residents are over 60 years of age—they have a disproportionately high number of stroke cases to treat. On a typical day, Schweizer says, she will print her consult list and go through the different charts and cases, using her NP to do some of the followup. As a primary stroke center, it’s common to have a couple of stroke alerts
to attend to. Otherwise, she finds herself interacting a lot with family members, particularly for patients with delirium and others who come from nearby care centers. On the administrative side, which comprises about 20 percent of her day, she may conduct a stroke meeting with other staff, complete reports, or attend meetings with other departments. Now that she’s finishing her first year as stroke medical director— and her second year out of residency—Schweizer feels she has more perspective to judge her decision not to pursue a fellowship. “For this position,” she said. “I don’t feel like a fellowship would necessarily help me. This isn’t a large academic institution, it’s a comprehensive center.” As for picking up a fellowship later, Schweizer feels that may not be necessary either. “I think the experience with my position here will be as strong on a resume as a fellowship in stroke would be,” she said. “I may be wrong about that, because different places look for different things. But I just got married and I have a baby on the way, so adding training isn’t something I’m thinking about right now.” For others weighing the fellowship decision, Schweizer has this advice. “Don’t feel pressure from anybody, whether that’s your residency or your family. You have to step back and look at what you want. For instance, if you’re a general neurohospitalist but then take a fellowship in headache, you’ll have that piece of paper but you won’t necessarily get to do a lot of headache cases.” Rather than taking a fellowship for the money, or to appease someone else, Schweizer advises residents to wait until they know what they’re passionate about. In that way, they can ensure that the year of training pays off in career satisfaction, even if it doesn’t turn out to be lucrative. If that means skipping the fellowship, Schweizer is proof that a successful career can evolve without the extra training. “I’m very happy with the choice I made,” she said. n
OUT-PATIENT NEUROLOGY OPPORTUNITY CHAROLETTE METRO AREA Outstanding opportunity to join a busy and established practice consisting of Four Physicians and Two Advanced Practitioners located in Gastonia, NC, just minutes from Charlotte, one of the fastest growing cities in the country. This position will be in an outpatient single specialty clinic. Two Neurohospitalists provide inpatient consult coverage and evening and weekend call for all physicians will be 1:6. CaroMont Regional Medical Center is a 435 bed, Level III Trauma Center with Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center and an active medical staff of over 350 physicians representing all major medical subspecialties, including established Hospitalist and Intensivist programs. Specialist on Call cover the ER for Code Stroke. This opportunity is an employed position and will offer competitive compensation package including competitive salary guarantee, sign on bonus, relocation allowance and a generous benefit package.
If interested in being considered for this opportunity, please apply online at www.caromonthealth.org or contact:
Tiffany Roper, Provider Recruiter CaroMont Health, 2315 Court Drive, Gastonia, NC 28054 Telephone # 704-834-2153; Fax # 704-834-4615 Email: tiffany.roper@caromonthealth.org
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Work Less. Make More. Have you considered a career in TeleNeurology? TELESPECIALISTS is a physician -owned teleheath organization and national leader in TeleNeurology care. We are looking for general, vascular, and neurophysiology trained trained Neurologists to join our dynamic and expanding practice. This position is perfect for those seeking more time with family, higher pay, and a safer practice environment.
You can expect:
Higher compensation Outstanding benefits
Research, educational and administrative professional development opportunities
