Contract question

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GreenMustard

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CA3 here, just got my first offer letter 🙂. I have a few questions for you guys. Is it standard practice to have an offer letter only valid for two days? What is a reasonable non-compete radius for anesthesia? What is a reasonable price to pay to have a contract reviewed by a lawyer?
 
As is the case with used car salesmen: if the offer "expires" too fast, run. No good offer should need extra pressure to convince you. Big red flag for me.

It's not like they are hiring a locum to start in 2 weeks. What's their explanation for the rush?

It has happened to me once. It was 2 days, too, they insisted. I realized they were just going down on a list, looking for a(ny) body, not for me. I said no, going with my gut. My gut was right: the person they hired instead quit after a few months.

Reasonable non-compete radius for anesthesia? Zero. Acceptable? Maybe a few miles, depending on provider density.
 
As is the case with used car salesmen: if the offer "expires" too fast, run. No good offer should need extra pressure to convince you. Big red flag for me.

It's not like they are hiring a locum to start in 2 weeks. What's their explanation for the rush?

It has happened to me once. It was 2 days, too, they insisted. I realized they were just going down on a list, looking for a(ny) body, not for me. I said no, going with my gut. My gut was right: the person they hired instead quit after a few months.

Reasonable non-compete radius for anesthesia? Zero. Acceptable? Maybe a few miles, depending on provider density.

Agreed. Two days is a desperation move. I mean they know you're a resident and have 6+ months left. So they know that you can't start until August 1st at the earliest. It takes what, 3 months max to get licensing and credentialing in any state?
 
CA3 here, just got my first offer letter 🙂. I have a few questions for you guys. Is it standard practice to have an offer letter only valid for two days? What is a reasonable non-compete radius for anesthesia? What is a reasonable price to pay to have a contract reviewed by a lawyer?

Run. Big red flag.
 
CA3 here, just got my first offer letter 🙂. I have a few questions for you guys. Is it standard practice to have an offer letter only valid for two days? What is a reasonable non-compete radius for anesthesia? What is a reasonable price to pay to have a contract reviewed by a lawyer?

I don't have to see that contract to know there are some really bad things in it. Tell them you will have the contract reviewed, after which you will get back to them. If it expires, move on to a real job. Honestly, that is a royal a-hole move , and there is probably more where that came from.
 
I don't have to see that contract to know there are some really bad things in it. Tell them you will have the contract reviewed, after which you will get back to them. If it expires, move on to a real job. Honestly, that is a royal a-hole move , and there is probably more where that came from.

The bigger question is whether they lubed up the offer letter so that it went in easier when they asked you to bend over for it... 🙄
 
The business of anesthesia has really become not that much better than the used car business. We always had more crooks and slimy characters in this field than other fields, but you used to find a few decent people occasionally.
Now it seems the only people left in leadership positions are the slimy ones!
 
I think 1-2 weeks is the lowest I would even consider sending someone, and that is if they are ~4-5 months out. It takes us 4 months minimum for credentialing and insurance work.

Many of the insurance companies now have a 90 day wait from application to activation.

Personally, if you like the rest of job, I would recommend asking them for a bit more time so you can have a lawyer review it to help you understand it better. Yours is on vacation for 2 weeks 😉


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Just had an offer and they gave me 4 weeks. Pretty reasonable if you ask me; they do need to know as well.

But 2 days? Hell no.
 
Just had an offer and they gave me 4 weeks. Pretty reasonable if you ask me; they do need to know as well.

But 2 days? Hell no.

The offer I got for my current job also gave me 4 weeks. The other offer I was considering told me to take all the time I needed, but asked that I let them know in a reasonable amount of time.
 
Expect to pay about $500 for a standard employment contract review. Your PD should be able to give you some names of attorneys.

Make an attempt to read the contract yourself before sending it to the lawyer and have a few specific questions ready. Like a medical consultant, they want to know what you are asking them.
 
We've never given an offer with a timeline attached. After a few weeks if we've had no response we will usually communicate that we will continue to look for a candidate if we don't hear back.
 
What is the timeline to receive an offer after an interview? Same day, two weeks, two months, second interview? Follow-up communication?
 
Depends on what they say at interview.

One of my interviews they told me I'd hear from them within a week, and I did.

Another said they were waiting on contacting references, and after I knew they had spoken to my references I gave them a few days and emailed asking what their timeline was as I had other offers. Got an offer there within a day.
 
What is the timeline to receive an offer after an interview? Same day, two weeks, two months, second interview? Follow-up communication?

Depends on the group. Some groups vote on everything, and will be interviewing multiple candidates. Then you have to wait for their next meeting, which may be a few weeks. The longest I waited was 5 weeks, which was 3 weeks too many, based on the need to respond to my current groups offer (had 4 weeks here, which I upped to 6 because I was waiting to hear from other group). I would have picked the other group had they offered, but am extremely glad that I ended up where I am instead.
We have offered same day, and 4 weeks later, it really depends on where in the cycle you interview, and if you fit a need.

Dragging it out can potentially hurt the group if they are waiting for you and they miss the few month long window for hiring residents in their CA3 year. It bumps them into hiring an experienced person rather than a resident. Please dont sit on an offer if you have more than one at a time.


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So same day offer isn't a red flag?

We group text after meeting someone, anyone with doubts speaks up. If there are no doubts, then we know same day. However, if we have another candidate coming in x time we wait until after they visit. If they are the last candidate, then we let them know same day.

We do most of our recommendation checks with people that are not listed on a CV ahead of interviewing anyways.

In the setting where there are doubts we put that person way on the back burner. If the answer is a firm "no" from any one partner, the candidate will not be hired.

I agree that same day can look desperate though. In all reality though if the group is on their game, they will know about that fast. Kind of like when to call that girl you got a number from back. I personally would go with 6 days.

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