The first step in the job search process is:

a. Identifying available opportunities.
b. Transmitting your CV.
c. Defining what you’re looking for.
d. Carving your salary demands in a block of concrete for presentation later.

The correct answer is (c). The first step in locating viable practice opportunities is to know what you’re looking for. Your local Wal-Mart has tens of thousands of items for sale, but if you’re looking for a broom, there’s little sense in studying the pharmacy section for something that will effectively sweep a floor. If you can define specific criteria for the position you seek, the job search will be much more effective.

Among the questions you should consider:

• What are your clinical practice interests? What types of patients and cases do you wish to treat?
• If you’ve completed fellowship training, to what extent do you expect to practice within that subspecialty compared with general practice?
• In what geographic areas are you willing to live and practice?
• How important to you is earning the maximum possible compensation?
• How important is having personal time away from practice?
• How much time do you intend to devote to practice each week?
• How long do you intend to practice actively?
• How much time flexibility will you need for personal and family issues?
• How important is it to be a practice owner/co-owner?
• Do you need the autonomy of a solo practice or can you embrace the compromises and decision-making processes involved in a group practice?
• What is your level of interest in learning the business aspects of operating a practice?
• To what extent do you consider yourself to be entrepreneurial and able to embrace financial risk/reward of solo practice, or do you prefer the stability of a group practice
• What characteristics of a practice and location are most compatible with the needs of your spouse and family?

Hundreds of physician practice opportunities are available in the United States at any given time. A limited number of them will satisfy your criteria. In some cases, your criteria may need modification and prioritization to meet the characteristics of available opportunities. Once you’ve established what you’re looking for, the search process becomes much clearer.

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From Future Focus®