How to Apply For Jobs

Becky Blankenburg, MD, MPHAssociate Program Director, Advising and

Career Development

August 13, 2009

Special Thanks

•Our invited guests:– Marisa Cappiello, MD mecappi@aol.com– Claudia Cardenas, MDcicardenas@gmail.com

– Arti Desai, MD arti.d.desai@gmail.com

– Lauren Destino, MD ldestino@hotmail.com

Objectives• How to Search for a Job

– Timeline– How to identify what you want– How to learn about jobs that are available

• Word of mouth• Informational interviews• Websites• Career Fairs

– How to get your name out there

• CVs, Cover Letters• Actual Interview Day• Benefits• Malpractice Insurance, Tail Insurance• Loan Repayment Opportunities• Contract Negotiation

Upcoming Career PanelsCareers in Primary Care Pediatrics(including Well Child, Urgent Care, Nursery, Public Health)Thursday, September 24th, 6-8pmLPCH Board Room

Careers in Pediatric Hospitalist Medicine(including Gen Peds Wards, IICU, NICU, PICU, ED)Thursday, October 1st, 6-8pmLPCH Board Room

Careers in Academic General PediatricsIs there interest?

Timeline – How to Apply For a Job

Deciding what you want to do

Thinking about Applying

Applying for Jobs

Medical Students, Interns, & Juniors

Juniors Seniors

In Depth Timeline For Seniors

Send Cover

Letters and CVs

Follow-Up with Phone Call

Decide

Senior Year

Fall-Winter

1-2 weeks later

Interview

Senior Year Fall-Spring

Receive &

Consider Offers; Possible Negotiat

ion

Senior Year Fall-Spring

Senior Year Fall-Spring

How to Identify Career Goals

• Particular passion• Specific areas of interest• Primary care vs. subspecialty• Predominantly outpatient vs. inpatient• Chronic vs. acute• Continuity of care vs. short-term• Procedures • Deaths and bad news• Academic vs. community setting• Clinical Work, Clinical Research, Laboratory Research, Education, Advocacy, Policy

• Hours of work– Daytime vs. nighttime– On-service time vs. shifts

• Ability to work part-time• Costs: Time on-service, geography, lifestyle

Exposure to Different Careers

• Continuity Clinic– Including opportunity to change site

• Urgent Care– 730 Welch Road, SCVMC, others

• Electives and Selectives• Away Rotations• Informational Interviews• Career Panels

– Primary Care Panel– Hospitalist Panel

• Networking Opportunities– “Getting to Know You” Event, Northern Cal AAP

• Educational Conferences– AAP National Meeting: October 11-14, 2009– PAS Meeting: Vancouver, BC, May 1-4, 2010– Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference:

Minneapolis, MN, July 22-25, 2010

Identify Mentors• Associate Program Directors, Advising and Career Development– Laura Bachrach, MD and Becky Blankenburg, MD, MPH

• Assigned Advisor• Community Pediatricians and Hospitalists willing to serve as career mentors

• Current LPCH Residents

How to Find Out About Job Opportunities

• Reality – Fewer jobs available in the Bay Area than before the economy took its downturn, but still many jobs available

– Many different choices (i.e., you can do what you love most)

– Many of the jobs are not listed– People learn about them by word of mouth or stumbling upon the opportunity

• Word of Mouth– Talk with mentors, continuity clinic preceptors, residency alum, current residents

• Send out feelers– Mention to mentors, continuity clinic preceptors, others in the community that you are interested in finding a job

– Send out cover letters and CVs, even if a job is not posted

• Informational Interviews

How to Find Out About Job Opportunities

Continued• Mail and Email

– You will receive many job opportunities in the mail (usually from other states and rural areas of California)

– Our residency program will send emails of job opportunities

• Websites– www.pedjobs.org (National AAP Job Networking Website)

• Career Fairs• Networking• Moonlighting• Locums Tenens

Preparing What You Will Need

• Cover Letter• CV• References

Cover Letters• Purposes of a Cover Letter

– Introduces you to the employer– Identifies what type of job you are looking for (in general terms – outpatient (continuity vs. urgent care vs. both), inpatient (gen peds vs. ED vs. nursery vs. NICU vs. PICU vs. combination), other

– Gives a few reasons why you would be an excellent choice

• Nuts and Bolts– One page– Send along with your CV

• The cover letter can be in the body of the email, rather than an attachment, but don’t treat it less formally – often this letter (no matter how formal or informal) will be sent on to the rest of the group you are applying to

Cover Letters continued

• Components of a Cover Letter– Introduction

•Is the opening paragraph strong? •Does it grab the reader’s attention?

– Sales Pitch•Are the middle paragraphs compelling? •Do they demonstrate your worthiness by focusing on accomplishments and proven performance?

– Closing•Is there an assertive call to action in the closing paragraph?

Cover Letters continued

• How to evaluate your cover letter?– Writing Style

• Is the letter concise yet persuasive? Is it error-free? Does it contain a “wow” factor?

– Relevancy• Is the letter focused on relevant skills and keywords?

– Accomplishment-Oriented• Does it highlight quantifiable accomplishments related to the career goal?

– Employer-Focused• Does the letter focus on what the candidate can do for the employer, not the other way around?

– Formatting• Is the letter appropriately formatted as a business letter?

Sample Cover Letters

Components of a CV• Name• Contact Information: Home & Work Address, Email, Phone

• Medical Training– Residency (Years attended)– Inpatient and outpatient rotations at LPCH, SCVMC, and Kaiser Santa Clara

– Continuity clinic at:

• Education (reverse chronological order)• Professional Experience (reverse chronological order)– List any related experience here (moonlighting, etc)

Components of a CV continued

• Licenses and Certification– Pediatric Board Certification– Medical Board of California– DEA– PALS– NALS

• Special Skills– Languages spoken– Ability to do special procedures: PICC lines, chest tube placement

• Honors and Awards (reverse chronological order)

Components of a CV continued

• Teaching Experience• Research• Publications• Presentations• Professional Organizations• Volunteer Experience• International Experience• Special Interests/Hobbies

Components of a CV continued

• +/- References – Technically, CVs do not include references– However, it will make it easier for your potential employer to verify your abilities

– 3-4 Total• Program director or associate program director should be one

• Strongly consider having your continuity clinic preceptor or another outpatient pediatrician as one of them if you are applying to outpatient positions

– When asking someone to be a reference, be sure to ask if he/she can provide a strong recommendation on your behalf

– Might be contacted by phone/email– Make sure you have good contact info (you want them to respond in a timely manner!)

– May need to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf• If so, give them plenty of time (at least one month)

Sample CVs

Scheduling Interviews• Be persistent (but nice and appreciative) in requesting an interview

• Sooner the better• Try to cluster interviews

– Because the timing of interviews at some places may overlap with offers from other places

• Preparation for interviews– Learn about the places you are going to visit• Why do you want to work there?• Why would you be a good fit?

– Talk with anyone who might know something about the group/practice

– Practice answering interview questions

Academic Promotions• Know the different tracks at your institution– For example, at Stanford, there are:– Clinical (non-tenure) – note this track is being phased out

– Clinician Educator (non-tenure)– Medical Center Line – Research (tenure or non-tenure)

– University Line – Research (tenure or non-tenure)

• Also, know what it takes to advance in the given tract

• Where to find the information?– Look under the Appointments and Promotions Committee

Actual Interview Day• Your goals:

– To sell yourself– To evaluate the potential job and determine if it fits what you are looking for

• Number of people you will meet with varies

• Number of interviews varies• Types of interviews vary

Actual Interview Day:What would you like to

know?• What will the actual job involve?

– Out-patient vs. in-patient– Number of days/half-days of clinic– Number of call nights (and what that means)

– Protected administrative time (for returning calls, finishing charting, making referrals, etc.)

– Non-clinical expectations•Teaching•Administrative (committee-work, other)

Actual Interview Day continued

• Who are the other MDs?• What support staff is there?

– RNs– PAs– MAs– Case manager– Business manager– Social worker– Subspecialists– Answering service

•Is RN first-call or MD?•Is there an answering service during the day?

Actual Interview Day continued

• What are the benefits?– Keep in mind that you will receive more information about this if you are offered the job

– Be careful when and how you ask this – don’t want it to seem your #1 concern

– More details about potential benefits on future slide

• How is evaluation and promotion handled?• How are young physicians mentored?• Are there partners? How does one advance to partner?

• How long do physicians typically stay in the practice?

• How does the practice deal with change?• What else should you learn about the job?• Are there any big upcoming changes? (People leaving, mergers, etc.)

Offers• Initially, may receive verbal contract• But make sure you get written contract shortly thereafter• Clarify job being offered

– What job will consist of?– Number of hours/week– Number and type of call– Expected non-clinical contributions– Protected administrative time

• Salary• Bonuses

– What bonuses depend on

Offers continued• Benefits

– Vacation– CME Time– Sabbatical– Health insurance

• How much are you expected to contribute?

– Dental insurance– Vision insurance– Retirement plans

• 401K, 403b, Pension Plans

• Matching vs. non-matching

• Vetted?– Child care accounts– Benefits for Domestic Partner, Spouse, Children

– Life Insurance– Disability Insurance– Reimbursement for Boards– Reimbursement for Medical License

– Reimbursement for DEA– CME Money– Other Spending Money for Education

– Tuition Benefits for Dependents

– Housing Benefits– Other Benefits

Offers continued• Maternity/Paternity Policy• Malpractice Insurance• Tail Insurance

– Definition: Type of malpractice insurance that covers you AFTER you leave the practice (ie, will cover you if a kid you treated during your time at that practice sues you and/or the practice 5 or 10 years after you actually saw them)

• Loan Repayment

After You Have Received an Offer

• Think about it• Talk about it with family and friends• Talk about it with a trusted mentor/advisor

• Consider having a lawyer review the contract

• Consider negotiating your contract

Contract Negotiation

• Fair Market Value– See what people in the area, in similar practices, are paying for physicians coming out of comparable residencies. Add your other experiences, languages, and special skills.

– Ask alumni, colleagues, pediatricians in the area about their compensation.

Contract Negotiation continued

• When to negotiate? – Different organizations have different expectations • Some places don’t do any negotiating. • Others don’t take you seriously unless you try and negotiate.

– Things that are negotiable: • Job specifics (eg, % continuity clinic vs. urgent care).

• Percent FTE.• Fair market value.• Comparison with other offers you have received.• Exit clauses.

– Usually Non-negotiable: • Non-compete clauses (where you can practice after you leave).

• Moonlighting outside system if working more that a certain percentage of FTE.

Contract Negotiation continued

• When to negotiate continued– Remember: Compensation is salary PLUS benefits, expenses, everything else!

– Think about what things are important to you (know your bottom line) but also keep in mind that you will be working with these people in the future so you don’t want to burn any bridges.

– If you can negotiate, find the right venue (wait until you talk to the chief medical officer…). You have to be a bit tactful and it is a bit uncomfortable to talk about, but it’s worth it.

– Know who you are negotiating with (Google them, know their background if possible, ask people in the area).

– If people say “best and final offer”, it is usually true.

– You normally have at least 2 weeks to decide on your offer.

– Consider having a lawyer review your contract.

After You Have A Job• Get a medical license ASAP (if moving to another

state)– Can take up to 9-12 months.– In fact, if you are sure you are moving to another state, then get your medical license now • It makes you seem like a more serious applicant. • Places are more likely to hire you if they don’t have to worry that you will be licensed in time.

• Consider registering with a service like Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS): http://www.fsmb.org/fcvs.html– Centralized, uniform process for state medical boards as well as private and governmental entities to obtain a verified, primary source record of a physician's core medical credentials.

– Cost: $295• Complete credentialing paperwork ASAP

– Can take 6 or more months.• Follow-up with credentialing office to verify that

everything is being processed – you don’t want anything holding up when you can start working (because you’re not paid till you start working).

Advice for Medical Students

• Start to identify career goals• Take electives during your clinical years

• Start to identify mentors• Choose a residency that exposes you to a variety of practice styles, types of general pediatrics and subspecialties – i.e., leave your doors open

Advice for Interns• Start to identify career goals• Start to identify mentors• Meet with mentors• Consider if you want to switch your continuity clinic site for junior year

• Consider attending pediatric conferences

Advice for Juniors• Begin working on CV and Cover Letters• Continue identifying career goals• Continue identifying mentors• Meet with mentors• Consider if you want to switch your continuity clinic site for senior year

• Consider attending pediatric conferences

Advice for Seniors• Talk about potential job opportunities with Advisor, Associate Program Director, Chiefs, etc.

• Create your CVs and Cover Letters• Review CVs and Cover Letters with your Advisor, Associate Program Director, Chiefs, etc.

• Arrange interviews • Interview• Weigh offers

– Feel free to discuss with your Advisor, Associate Program Director, Chiefs, etc

• Give us feedback on the process

Panel

Questions for the Panel:• Introduce yourself• Briefly summarize your job application process

• Anything surprising that you found in applying for or interviewing for jobs

• Any advice