Advice for 3rd year residents looking for jobs

[DoctorWannaBe]

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I am a 3rd year resident looking for my first job as a hospitalist and was hoping we could start a discussion about job-hunting techniques. What is the best way to look for a job in a different state? When should I start sending out CV's? Do I need letter of recommendation? Anything else I should be thinking about?

 

[Stitch]

I actually think this is a great thread idea, and would love to hear some input from others who have gone through it.

My main advice is to start early. Credentialling (sp?) takes a while, as does getting through the state license paperwork. Some states even make you appear in person to their medical board before granting a license.

Do you want to work with residents at a teaching program or are you looking for a community hospitalist? Any family or friends working in that area?

It might be worth calling the chief residents at the program you're looking at (or in the area you're looking at) to find out what hospitals are there and which ones are good. Chances are the house staff is in the know about these types of things. I haven't tried this myself, but it may be a place to start.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

As stated above, one of the biggest hassles is licensure. It's expensive (get ready to spend a couple thousand dollars) and time consuming. I would get that done early (because you need to get it done by Nov or Dec of this calendar year if you want to start in July). If you are unsure what geographical location you want to practice, you can create an application through the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), but you need to keep in mind that many states have an additional application and/or requirement and some don't take the FSMB application at all. Also, some jobs might reimburse you for the cost later, so save your receipts.

As far as jobs, yep you need letters of references as they are called in the business world. But I can tell you, a personal phone call from a physician (eg a program director) who knows and respects you can go a very long way, more so than anyone could ever write on paper. You just have to be able to find someone who will go that extra mile for you.

And it never hurts to get an early jump on things. I would start applying as soon as you can. The back pages of Pediatrics have "wanted" ads. Also, pretty much every speciality group has an organization that often has a job section. The hospitalist one is www.hospitalmedicine.org/ I think. You could try that.

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

Thanks for the advice so far. Does anyone else have anything to add?