You’ve probably heard a hundred pieces of advice about when to start looking for that first job.
You are still in residency, ridiculously busy, and it seems like you just have so much time until you graduate! The truth is that it’s never too early to start thinking about what you are going to do after residency. A number of different options exist: private practice versus employed physician (the latter more likely these days), academia versus non-academic, small group versus large multi-specialty organization. You will likely gain fleeting insights into all of these options during your residency years, when lots of current physicians would likely have been only too happy to offer you their pearls of wisdom.
As you get more of an idea about what you’d like to do, you should aim to have your final job sorted out by the beginning of your final year. It’s rare that you will be able to get a firm offer before then (unless you are staying in the same institution), and most groups and organizations won’t be hiring more than a year in advance. By the same token, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have too much time to play with, because before you know it—you’re approaching the end of your final year of residency and about to sit your boards, which is a stressful enough time. That’s why I advise the following:
• From the beginning of your residency, speak to as many Attendings as possible about life in your specialty, before you come to a decision about what you want to do
• By the middle/end of your penultimate year, have your plan in place and tentatively start your job search
• Right at the beginning of your final year, begin the formal application process, and ideally schedule your interviews in the Fall
The other part of the equation to keep in mind is the time it takes to get all your professional licensing and credentialing done. This can take several months alone. If you plan to start your Attending job right after you finish residency without any delay, you will therefore be very wise to follow the above pieces of advice. Good luck!
About the Author: Ben Levin is a board certified internal medicine physician. He is the co-founder of DocsDox (www.docsdox.com) – an online service that connects physicians and healthcare professionals wanting more independence with great moonlighting and per diem opportunities, without the expensive middleman.
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