Regardless of whether you have been offered your first permanent role as a physician or are looking for career advancement, there are many things you will need to consider before accepting that all-important job offer.
Moving to a new place of work or a new department can bring with it many challenges, so you must give it the consideration it deserves.
Here are 4 things all physicians should consider before accepting a new position.
Reputation
One of the critical things to consider when accepting a new role is to ask yourself whether the ethos and reputation of the hospital or clinic is a good fit for you. If they have a terrible reputation for patient care or are well known for having high staff turnover, perhaps it might not be the right move. Do some research and make sure it feels right. If you will have a team of staff below you, ask to spend some time with them and gauge how well you think you might work together.
Your gut instincts will be a reasonably failsafe indicator of whether it’s going to be a good move.
Career Goals
Will the new position take your career to the next step or are you sidestepping for no good reason? If there are no significant differences between the new role and your existing one, you need to ask yourself whether there is any point moving.
If, on the other hand, the new position is going to be a good stepping stone to get to where you want to be in the longer term, then you are probably headed in the right direction.
Contract
If you have already decided to accept a job offer, you may have been presented with a very lengthy and detailed contract to sign. It’s a wise move to get someone with legal or contractual experience to look over it, particularly if you don’t understand some of the terminologies.
According to Physicians Thrive, an advisory group for doctors and surgeons, physicians who don’t have their contracts reviewed put themselves in professional jeopardy. Make sure you understand all of the terms, caveats, and obligations before you sign, or you could regret it further down the line.
Family
If your new position involves relocating, it will have an impact on your whole family, so they must be all on board and agreeable.
The job of a physician can be very demanding, and although the new role may attract a higher salary, you need to establish what other changes it will bring.
You may already work unsociable hours, but if the new position dictates that your hours will increase further, is your partner okay with that? Will it affect their career or your current childcare set up?
You will likely need to have some very detailed discussions with your family before accepting any new role. While it could bring lots of benefits, you need to be sure that it’s the right decision for all concerned.