Are psychiatry attending jobs really all that easy to get?

[meow1985]

So I'm not sure I agree that all it takes is a pulse and a completed psychiatry residency to get an attending job. I got 4 offers, but I also had 2 that... didn't go anywhere after the in-person interview, let's put it that way. One place may have just been disorganized, but the other had no such appearance. And I didn't even have any red flags on my record when I was applying.

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[VA Hopeful Dr]

You're looking at this the wrong way.

That doesn't mean you can get every job that's out there, just that there are so many jobs that there are plenty you can get.

I'm FM. My first year out of residency I moved to a new town and applied for four jobs in that town. One turned me down. The other 3 offered me contracts. That one job doesn't mean the FM job market is bad, the other three within a 10 mile radius means it's very good.

 

[clausewitz2]

So I'm not sure I agree that all it takes is a pulse and a completed psychiatry residency to get an attending job. I got 4 offers, but I also had 2 that... didn't go anywhere after the in-person interview, let's put it that way. One place may have just been disorganized, but the other had no such appearance. And I didn't even have any red flags on my record when I was applying.

You are, presumably, one person. You received offers for 400% as many jobs as you can actually do. This is not the Match, you are not making a rank list, you pick one and that's it. What conclusions do you draw from this?

 

[meow1985]

You are, presumably, one person. You received offers for 400% as many jobs as you can actually do. This is not the Match, you are not making a rank list, you pick one and that's it. What conclusions do you draw from this?

That I only need one offer to have a job. But also that I have about a 66% track record of getting offers, which I *don't* like. Still, it beats every other stage of the process to becoming a practicing physician.

 

[clausewitz2]

That I only need one offer to have a job. But also that I have about a 66% track record of getting offers, which I *don't* like. Still, it beats every other stage of the process to becoming a practicing physician.
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I have a non-physician friend who recently had to go through a job search with some urgency. He applied to 23 positions in four states before landing something. We have it easy.

 

[J ROD]

Think about how hard it is to get a residency spot even through the match these days not to mention outside it. Having to go to a place you might not like. For attending I got about 10 places to apply for within small area I want to live. Does that mean I get to have my pick of all 10? No. There are others applying as well. But it is a very good situation where most cases you have multiple offers to choose from. Not the case with most jobs. Trust me.

 

[TexasPhysician]

That I only need one offer to have a job. But also that I have about a 66% track record of getting offers, which I *don't* like. Still, it beats every other stage of the process to becoming a practicing physician.

Why are you applying to jobs that you don’t like?

 

[meow1985]

Why are you applying to jobs that you don’t like?

I don’t like the 66% chance of offer, not the jobs themselves

 

[psyguru]

Currently (and for the rest of my career), I am interested in part-time clinical jobs, particularly with a niche focus that will help maintain or grow my sub-specialty expertise. I get tons of emails and texts with openings. I will send them my expert witness fee schedule. It tends to work pretty well in deterring them or rarely making a good offer I will likely turn down anyhow.

 

[mstevens]

When I decided it was time to move on from the job from which I'd expected to retire, I put a few CV's online one morning. Before the end of that day I wondered if my phone could actually melt from incoming calls and texts. Sure, I have tons of experience and a documented track record, but in my new position I need to recruit a team and I can tell you that right now it's a seller's market for competent, well-trained psychiatrists. Despite that, I flew to a couple of interviews that I'd thought would be slam-dunks but weren't. One place had already hired someone but wanted to talk to me about a very different position (no, thanks). One place the CEO was talking details with me as if I already worked there in the early afternoon and by a couple of hours later the in-house recruiter told me it was a no-go. Maybe they didn't like my socks. Who knows? You should, eventually, learn that no matter what you do no everyone is going to like you. Better to find out there's a mismatch before you've moved and invested money, energy, and emotions in something that would never have worked out. There are TONS of psychiatry jobs out there, so be picky and look at lots of options. Understand that casting a wide net will mean more possibilities that don't work out.

I ended up working with a really good recruiter who took the time to review my career and my very idiosyncratic wish list and most definitely did not just try to place me where she'd get the biggest, fastest commission. She actually talked me into looking at a couple of options that I would never have considered otherwise, each of which led to a great offer and left me with really tough decisions to make.

Or you could always contact me if you want a really high-paying 7-on/7-off inpatient job at a hospital that respects clinicians, located in a vacation destination, on a service led by a really swell medical director where we treat patients rather than producing healthcare widgets. 😉

 

[meow1985]

When I decided it was time to move on from the job from which I'd expected to retire, I put a few CV's online one morning. Before the end of that day I wondered if my phone could actually melt from incoming calls and texts. Sure, I have tons of experience and a documented track record, but in my new position I need to recruit a team and I can tell you that right now it's a seller's market for competent, well-trained psychiatrists. Despite that, I flew to a couple of interviews that I'd thought would be slam-dunks but weren't. One place had already hired someone but wanted to talk to me about a very different position (no, thanks). One place the CEO was talking details with me as if I already worked there in the early afternoon and by a couple of hours later the in-house recruiter told me it was a no-go. Maybe they didn't like my socks. Who knows? You should, eventually, learn that no matter what you do no everyone is going to like you. Better to find out there's a mismatch before you've moved and invested money, energy, and emotions in something that would never have worked out. There are TONS of psychiatry jobs out there, so be picky and look at lots of options. Understand that casting a wide net will mean more possibilities that don't work out.

I ended up working with a really good recruiter who took the time to review my career and my very idiosyncratic wish list and most definitely did not just try to place me where she'd get the biggest, fastest commission. She actually talked me into looking at a couple of options that I would never have considered otherwise, each of which led to a great offer and left me with really tough decisions to make.

Or you could always contact me if you want a really high-paying 7-on/7-off inpatient job at a hospital that respects clinicians, located in a vacation destination, on a service led by a really swell medical director where we treat patients rather than producing healthcare widgets. 😉

I'm not sure how it is that people get offers out of nowhere. Where did you post your CV? I am on doximity, career md, practice match, and I just made a linked-in. But there's nothing on any of them that I haven't already found through google or my social networks. In fact, some jobs I know exist are missing. I've also gotten emails from institution-based recruiters I met at conferences. But still, that involved me putting my email on somebody's list. Maybe it's the fact that I *just* made a linked-in, and that I'm still in residency? I heard from my attending friends that something happens when you graduate where all of a sudden you have headhunters banging down your door.

I'm interested in one specific state, and it's not a super popular place to be, either.

 

[hebel]

I'm not sure how it is that people get offers out of nowhere. Where did you post your CV? I am on doximity, career md, practice match, and I just made a linked-in. But there's nothing on any of them that I haven't already found through google or my social networks. In fact, some jobs I know exist are missing. I've also gotten emails from institution-based recruiters I met at conferences. But still, that involved me putting my email on somebody's list. Maybe it's the fact that I *just* made a linked-in, and that I'm still in residency? I heard from my attending friends that something happens when you graduate where all of a sudden you have headhunters banging down your door.

I'm interested in one specific state, and it's not a super popular place to be, either.

I think Stevens is over 50, so that may change responses compared to a new grad...opening him up to leadership positions and such.

 

[dl2dp2]

One place the CEO was talking details with me as if I already worked there in the early afternoon and by a couple of hours later the in-house recruiter told me it was a no-go.

This happens all the time and it's often not any issuing relating to the applicant. Management has issues that are not seen by the applicant and very often for business reasons these issues are made deliberately opaque to the applicant.

For one thing, the CEOs talking to you in details might be a way for him to get information for free, without any intention to hire anyone. Remember, recruiters don't get paid unless the facilities hire. Facilities put out ads without hiring, or hiring for a different role (in which case they can often avoid paying recruiting fees). This is inefficient, of course, but hospital admins are often not trying to most efficiently fill spots, especially when such spots are cost centers rather than profit-generating.

There are also a LOT of applicants on the market, even though there are way more jobs than the applicant. Think of it this way: even in a sellers market, some buyers still often hesitate to buy for reasons unrelated to the market conditions.

 

[Sushirolls]

I worked one health system job where the medical director had a very narrow view of candidates deemed acceptable. Certain things that were amiss or even someone who wanted to work lots and earn lots, was not considered. When there had been an open position for years, and with my absence now at least two open positions. I tried pushing the mantra of taking any warm body, in context of it being a slightly lower desired place to live and also a slightly lower than market rate pay.

Just after residency I was declined offers by two places I had interviewed at. It happens.

 

[Mass Effect]

I'm interested in one specific state, and it's not a super popular place to be, either.

If you want to post the state, I can post jobs from that state that are emailed to me. I get a ton of emails. I can also do it via private message if you'd rather tell me the state you're interested in there.

 

[BiscoDisco]

If you want to post the state, I can post jobs from that state that are emailed to me. I get a ton of emails. I can also do it via private message if you'd rather tell me the state you're interested in there.

California

 

[Mass Effect]

California

I don't get any from CA.