Hey Brian20,
Thanks for asking. Actually, while my company does physician placement, we do very little "traditional recruiting." We have pioneered several new methods that are intended to benefit physicians as professionals and also medicine as a business.
For example, our web site is designed to replace traditional recruiting with a "self-service" model that saves hospitals, clinics and other practices approx. $12,000 per physician placement. Money better spent on staff salaries, diagnostic equipment, etc. -But I'm not looking for an advertising spot here. Besides, none of you are likely to be looking to hire a physician at the moment!
I had seriously considered pursuing medicine as a career, but switched to social science due to three major issues: First, I absolutely HATED organic chem and physics and, at the time, really didn't want to drudge through 3-4 more years of the same. Second, for medical reasons I cannot do the 36 hour shifts currently required of medical residents. I am unable to stay awake for more than about 20 hours without a serious decline in functioning, and then I need a minimum of 6 hours of undisturbed sleep in order to regain normal functioning. This isn't a disability that would prevent the study or practice of medicine -- but I know I would not have survived residency as it was (and is currently) structured. And finally, I LOVED social science. I started in Psychology, and then did grad work in Sociology. I would have gone into Soc. professionally, but I was really turned off by academic politics.
I did originally sign on to the list as an additional resource for reaching medical students about the contractor position you've seen me advertise. But I also send out this information through medical schools (usually the student affairs or financial aid offices, and generally with the approval of a dean though not all schools require that,) e-mail eligible folks directly, and otherwise get the word out. But I continue to participate on the list because:
1) I find many of the discussions interesting
2) I think I have a lot of knowledge about the field of physician placement and employment that could make a valuable contribution to the list -- I'm an old-time internet user and maintain the values of a good "netizen," and
3)I learn a lot about the concerns of medical students and residents that I can use to improve the services available at my company for all of our benefit. (For example, before I asked on this list I did not know that the 3 top sources of income for med students were loans, spouse or other family, and PARTICIPATING AS A PAID SUBJECT IN MEDICAL RESEARCH!!! (ok, the first two I knew, but the 3rd blew me away.)
In the time I've been at Practice Opportunities, I've learned that the underlying philosophy of the owner is to create real value where there is real need, and to develop models of success that are shared: we are successful when we make other people successful. So far, I have loved working here.
Anyway, that's what I'm doing on SDN. I try to distinguish between anything that I say that is related to my work (like advise about the job market, things I've learned talking to residency program directors or from reading CVs, etc.), in which case I use the signature on this message, as opposed to when I'm just participating with my own opinion or feelings, not to be associated with my company in any way, in which case I sign with just my name or no sig at all.
Kind of long, but I hope that answers your question! And I hope none of that sounds particularly "sinister." <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
