Pearls for Interviewing at the Academy

By George O. Waring IV, MD

Years of school, residency and fellowship have brought you to your next task, securing a desirable job. The Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology is a convenient place to set up and conduct multiple interviews. Interviewing at the academy will often be suggested by the potential employer, and it is reasonable for the potential employee to make this proposition as well. The basic tenants of interviewing apply: come prepared, make a strong first impression, obtain the information you need, and follow up promptly.

To get ready for your interview, update your CV and consider creating a brief biographical sketch page, including a color photograph. Email your CV to the potential employer in advance so they have time to review it, and offer references at their request. Typically, this occurs early on, prior to an interview invitation. It is worth investing in updated business cards as well. Leave it to the discretion of the interviewer to determine the meeting place and circumstance. If they are giving a lecture or teaching a course, it is good form to offer to meet outside of the lecture hall after the lecture. Make sure you exchange cell phone numbers in the event one party is running late or you can not find each other.

Do your research on the practice in advance. Prior to the interview, try to develop a strong sense of the practice. A good place to start is the practice website. Contact as many current partners and employees as you can. Contacting past partners or employees can be more valuable than talking to present partners, as they are often willing to divulge undesirable but important information. Prospectively investigate issues such as demographics, proximal universities, potential competition, the co-management climate, referral sources, cost of living, traffic, and school districts.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to get a good nights rest the night before your interview. Make arrangements for transportation and directions in advance, especially if the interview is to occur on your first day. Dress for success- put on your best suit, the one that makes you feel most comfortable and confident. Take a few minutes to press out the wrinkles in the hotel room and be well groomed. Bring a copy of your CV printed on high quality paper in the event that the interviewer requests it. Arrive early, and allow extra time for transportation, not being able to locate the designated meeting location, and anticipate being stopped by colleagues along the way.

When the potential employer arrives, subtly wipe the sweat from your palm, make eye contact and offer a firm handshake while you state the interviewers name in a self-assured, confident manner, and offer your business card. Do not hesitate to introduce yourself if additional partners or employees attend the interview. It will be at the interviewer’s discretion to pick the place to conduct the interview. A nice touch is to try to locate a potential spot to offer before the meeting time. Remind yourself to smile throughout the interview, avoid ending sentences like questions, and communicate clearly and succinctly. Overall, just be yourself. This is all second nature by this point.

Remember, you are interviewing the potential employer as well. As such, it is critical to come prepared with a list of questions in your head specific to this opportunity. Below is a list of questions to consider. In general, this is not a time to discuss the specifics of salary, bonus and buy in cost. Follow the interviewers lead on salary related issues. The real purpose of the first interview is to assess chemistry, and to develop a feel of what the other party brings to the table. Below is a list of reasonable questions for you to ask if and when appropriate.

• What type of practice is this? Is it multispecialty?
• How large is the practice?
• How many centers or satellite clinics are there?
• How many employees? How long have they been there?
• How many partners? How long have they been there?
• What is the scope of practice?
• What is the approximate surgical volume?
• What are the academic opportunities?
• What are the clinical and bench research opportunities?
• What is the city or town like?
• What are the socioeconomic demographics?
• What is the population and potential patient base?
• Is there partnership opportunity?
• Is there an Ambulatory surgery center? If so, is there an opportunity to buy in?
• What is the call schedule?
• Why is the position you are interviewing for available?
• If it is available because an employee or partner left – why did they leave?
  

At the conclusion of the interview, define the “next step”. The potential employer may offer a follow up phone call to set up a practice visit. Conclude the interview as strong as you initiated it, and be sincere in your level of interest. Immediately send a thank you follow up email and consider going the extra mile with hand written thank you note. If it was not covered during the first interview, the practice visit is an appropriate time to discuss specifics such as salary, bonus structure, partnership track buy in cost, surgical and diagnostic equipment.

Unfortunately, statistics say that you will not end up retiring from your first job out of training. Nonetheless, it is human nature to approach this job as though it was going to be your last. The true purpose of meeting face to face is to begin to establish a gut sense of opportunity, chemistry and trust. Interviewing at the academy is an initial step of a much larger process which ends with signing a contract. Like surgery, this stepwise process will build on each subsequent step- so prepare, visualize and do your best.

updated 2/4/2009