Hospitalist Interview Questions!! how to ask delicate questions.

[bananas85]

I am trying to find the diamond in rough hospitalist jobs. The one that provide good work life balance. I don't mind travelling to middle of nowhere, even alaska, I dont mind working nights ,days , swings whatever.

Important to me is - I dont want to be burned out, take my time with my patients, and go home with still a decent amount of energy left in my tank.

If working days, one of the things that is important to me is being able to leave the hospital when work is done, unless you are code pager .

How do I ask that in an interview without sounding like a slacker?

Ideally, I would also like to start out with a non committal "prn" contract, that way I can try out the job and they can try me out. I dont mind paying for my own interview and flights, hotel etc. Would most medical director be open to this, if I was honest and told them, "I would like to start out as a prn employee and if you are pleased with my work and I like the job, I can sign on as a full time?"

I feel like if i mention the prn or part time to recruiters on the phone the conversation goes no where, however most recruiters are also clueless sounding about what a hospitalist does.

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[chessknt]

Sounds like you want locums instead of a permanent position. No hospital is going to want to hire someone part time when the costs of credentialing and medmal are the same as a full time person. While it is possible you may find jobs like you are describing on a locums basis I would think it would be much rarer since hospitals like you described generally have full staff and dont need to resort to locums unless something unexpected happens.

 

[IMGASMD]

Do it the old fashion way. Networking, talk to your past residents. Have a good contract, where they pay for your tail and you have a short notice period. Like others said, the job you want may already been snatched up, in a rural location or just a very mom/pop shop-ish type of place. Hard to spend a lot of dough to use recruiters and have you do a prn job.

 

[siliso]

Consider the VA. Working conditions are much superior to the private world in my observation in terms of patient load and ancillary support = adequate time to do a good job in my experience, as opposed to tuck in with prns for everything and call consults for each organ and on to the next one. Compensation reflects that but is to some extent made up for by benefits, retirement, public service, opportunity to be involved in education. Ask the people who work there what their typical day is like, how many patients, how many admits and discharges, etc...

 

[NITRAS]

I’d ask about retention and how long people have been there.

About half of my group has been here >5 years. Lots of them >10 years.

 

[kaycee18]

Interviewed at a position I like a lot. They did not offer me the job. they are checking my references and want to invite me for a second visit. I am really bad at interviews. Is it worth going back? any one had similar experience? Did you get the job after second visit? It is for a hospitalist position.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

For academic sites, a second visit is usually done when an offer will be given. You often will be required to do a presentation of some sort.

In any case, they should be paying all of the costs for both of your visits. It's absolutely worth going back if this is a job you want. They wouldn't bring you back for a 2nd unless they were interested. Practice interviewing if you're not good at it.

 

[kaycee18]

not an academic institution. states that it will be informal. Thank you for your advice.

 

[lulu09]

I’d ask about retention and how long people have been there.

About half of my group has been here >5 years. Lots of them >10 years.

I honestly think this is the most high-yield question you can ask to get a sense of the culture and any possible "malignancy."