Welcome to the final part of our Job Search Guide. In this series, we break your medical job search into four main areas and provide tips, recommendations, and things to look out for with each one. Be sure to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 as well.

Once you’ve determined you want to search for a physician job, created your medical resume, and prepared your list of references, you’re ready for the final part of your job search: determining your priorities.

There are four main criteria to consider:

Location

Do you want to stay where you are or are you open to relocating? Limiting your job search to your current geographic area has the benefit of making your search simpler – you’ll have fewer options to choose from and don’t have to worry about location as a factor. However, if you’re up for moving, you could find a wide variety of opportunities to suit your tastes.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to see if changing locations might be a good fit:

  1. Do you need or want to live close to family members or friends?
  2. Do you travel frequently? Do you need to be close to an airport or public transportation station?
  3. Do you prefer a rural or urban practice setting and living situation?
  4. Would you prefer to work in a small clinic or large practice setting (such as a hospital)?

Thinking through your answers to these questions will help focus your job search. And if you’re looking for ideas on where to relocate, check out Medscape’s list of Best and Worst Places to Practice.

Compensation Model

You might be willing to accept a low salary if this is your first position after completing your education, but remember that your starting salary plays a role in your subsequent salary levels. So don’t go too low! Know your worth and know your needs.

Also note that there is more to compensation than just salary. Signing bonuses, incentives, paid time off, flexible working hours, insurance, and other benefits can really add up. Think about which of those aspects are more important to you – and your family.

Family Needs

Speaking of family, they will play a big part in your decision. If you have small children, elderly parents, or another loved one to care for, location and salary will affect them as well. You might have an additional set of criteria for housing, medical care, or school systems to take into consideration.

If you need to be available for your family members at certain times, then flexible working hours might be more important to you than salary. If you travel frequently to visit family, particularly if you’ve relocated from elsewhere, then vacation time might be more valuable to you.

Loan Repayment

If you still have loans to repay from medical school, then you might be interested in a position that assists with loan repayment. This could end up netting you even more than a higher salary would since you won’t have to pay the interest on your loans. Just be sure that you have a plan in place to bump up to the salary you’re worth after the loans have been repaid.

That wraps up our four-part job search guide! Now you’re ready to start your actual search. You can search our physician job board to look for opportunities within your specialty or contact us to get your own personal career consultant to help you take the next step!