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CME - AMA Ed Hub StepsForward Module—8 Steps for Evaluating Practice Opportunities

Published on: Jan 20, 2021

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Practicing medicine in a positive, supportive environment is the foundation for a truly joyful career—but a job that is the wrong fit can lead to burnout and the need for disruptive job changes. Learn how to  Identify available practice settings and how each setting may affect your experience, develop a framework for critically assessing physician support, electronic health records, culture, and compensation at a given organization; and clarify your priorities to help you tailor your job search in this Ed Hub StepsForward CME module

Physicians, particularly those recently out of training, may feel overwhelmed when faced with critically evaluating their options in the job market. Medical training, with a competitive admissions process and match system, can condition physicians to develop an “I'll take anything I can get” attitude. But when searching for an attending job, it is important to adjust this mindset: you are in high demand and have many options. Your job is not to convince every practice to hire you, but to engage in an honest and open conversation with prospective employers to find a truly great fit. 

A stepwise approach to identifying and evaluating job opportunities can empower physicians to find jobs that match their priorities. While the focus of this module is on nonacademic, community-based jobs (and thus some components may not be relevant for academic positions), most of the general principles can be applied to both the academic and nonacademic sectors. 

Eight STEPS for Evaluating Practice Opportunities 

  1. Identify Your Priorities 

  2. Understand the Practice Settings Available 

  3. Start Your Search 

  4. Evaluate Physician Support and Quality of Life 

  5. Evaluate Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Technology Usage 

  6. Evaluate Workplace Culture 

  7. Evaluate Compensation 

  8. Review Your Contract and Negotiate Based on Your Priorities 

To learn more about each step and earn CME go to the AMA Ed Hub

Full Link: https://edhub.ama-assn.org/steps-forward/module/2767098