etiquette for cold calls/contacts

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Hopefully this is okay to post this question here versus the regular ophthalmology forum, but I wanted to hear opinions/pick brains of recent post-residency grads (or whomever has an opinion) that maybe were in my shoes within the past few years.

More or less, my plans for post-residency are pretty close to having the bottom fall out and now have a few months to scramble to find something for employment. Looking to start cold calling and reaching out to various practices in an area I am interested in and I am not quite sure how to go about it. What exactly is the proper way to reach out to these places? I'm sure there is a wrong way and a right way to go about it. Any advice, lessons learned, mistakes in the past anyone could pass on would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Originally Posted by sidehatch

Hopefully this is okay to post this question here versus the regular ophthalmology forum, but I wanted to hear opinions/pick brains of recent post-residency grads (or whomever has an opinion) that maybe were in my shoes within the past few years.

More or less, my plans for post-residency are pretty close to having the bottom fall out and now have a few months to scramble to find something for employment. Looking to start cold calling and reaching out to various practices in an area I am interested in and I am not quite sure how to go about it. What exactly is the proper way to reach out to these places? I'm sure there is a wrong way and a right way to go about it. Any advice, lessons learned, mistakes in the past anyone could pass on would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

So, are you a med student, as your descriptor states, or are you a resident? If the latter, are you a third year? Need to know the time frame here. Are you looking to do straight comprehensive? Do you have anything else to offer (e.g., some subspecialty interest with solid training in residency)? What area are you interested in? Do you have other contacts in the area? What are the circumstances under which the current deal is falling through? Is it you? Is it them? Could you use that? Sorry for all the questions, but a lot depends on your situation. Your best bet for locking up a job is to approach someone who knows you, at least in some regard. Cold calling works, but you have to cast a large net usually.

I have wondered about cold calling as well. Visionary, I am finishing surg retina. What would you think about cold calling retina only groups or even multi-speciality w\o retina currently. I am looking at smaller venues and therefore there are not a lot of posting where I am looking. No real region just not super urban areas.

I imagine I will just call and leave a message for the doc to call me back after hours.

Sorry about the lack of updating on the profile info. I am currently a third year resident finishing this June. I had plans for employment/training, but it is falling apart on their end secondary to lack of funding at one place/ politics/ etc. Definitely not any of my doing or the like. Just bad timing and circumstance.

Plan B is looking to do comprehensive, but I feel comfortable from my training doing anything including retina lasers, glaucoma lasers, intravitreal injections, torics, multifocals, etc.

Contacts vary from very peripheral, ie they vaguely know other family members in the field to a complete cold call.


Thanks in advance for the input.

Originally Posted by MR1

I have wondered about cold calling as well. Visionary, I am finishing surg retina. What would you think about cold calling retina only groups or even multi-speciality w\o retina currently. I am looking at smaller venues and therefore there are not a lot of posting where I am looking. No real region just not super urban areas.

I imagine I will just call and leave a message for the doc to call me back after hours.

Well, I approached a comprehensive group in the town where I did residency. Largest group without in-house retina. Knew a couple of the docs, but not closely. Pitched my medical retina services to them. They were interested ($$$), so we worked out a contract while I was in fellowship. The key is finding areas of need. A buddy of mine (VR surg) had made connections at a meeting to a similar group up north. He ended up signing with them. The only potential downside to being the only retina in your group is . . . you're the only retina in your group. I do have good relationships with other retina docs in the area, so I'm sure they would cover me, if needed. That's important. You want to be able to take vacation, after all.

BTW, a multispecialty group down the street from me is looking to add a second VR doc this cycle. PM me, if you want more info.

Originally Posted by sidehatch

Sorry about the lack of updating on the profile info. I am currently a third year resident finishing this June. I had plans for employment/training, but it is falling apart on their end secondary to lack of funding at one place/ politics/ etc. Definitely not any of my doing or the like. Just bad timing and circumstance.

Plan B is looking to do comprehensive, but I feel comfortable from my training doing anything including retina lasers, glaucoma lasers, intravitreal injections, torics, multifocals, etc.

Contacts vary from very peripheral, ie they vaguely know other family members in the field to a complete cold call.


Thanks in advance for the input.

Sounds like you have a lot to offer a potential practice. I would try and focus on any ties you have with practicing docs, no matter how weak. That may bear fruit easier than cold calling. If you do cold call, go in having done a basic evaluation of the practice (how many docs, doing what sorts of procedures/surgeries), so you can sell your potential. You definitely want to call that practice. No e-mails. You'll likely get the practice admin as a gate-keeper, but make him/her aware that you'd like to talk to the managing partner about a possible job opportunity. Worst they can do is say no, right?

Originally Posted by sidehatch

Hopefully this is okay to post this question here versus the regular ophthalmology forum, but I wanted to hear opinions/pick brains of recent post-residency grads (or whomever has an opinion) that maybe were in my shoes within the past few years.

More or less, my plans for post-residency are pretty close to having the bottom fall out and now have a few months to scramble to find something for employment. Looking to start cold calling and reaching out to various practices in an area I am interested in and I am not quite sure how to go about it. What exactly is the proper way to reach out to these places? I'm sure there is a wrong way and a right way to go about it. Any advice, lessons learned, mistakes in the past anyone could pass on would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

If you are going to cold call, then go big. Send letters to not just groups you think might want a retina doc, but also to hospital medical staff directors that might be looking to add an ophthalmologist to the hospital staff. Sometimes they can be willing to bankroll a startup.