Job Negotiations

[mbcallen]

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Hey Guys,
I'm a second year PA student and will be graduating in December. I am currently in negotiations for employment with an internal medicine hospitalist team in a large midwestern hospital system. The debate I'm having is concerning scheduling. The physicians on the team work a rotating schedule, including every other weekend. I would be the only midlevel providor on the team. My salary would be based on 40 hours per week, without much room for negotiation. The way the team sees it now, I would work generally 8 hours a day, on the same weekend rotation that they have.
I don't want to seem greedy, but it seems that because my salary won't be based on performance like theirs is, I should either be essentially Monday through Friday, or paid more. Because the hospital is such a large system, they start all PA's at essentially the same salary, whether in a clinic, surgery, or ER. The advantage to surgery is incentive bonus pay based on number of cases etc.
Unfortunately, there apparently won't be any room for incentive pay for me.
Should I just suck it up and work whatever schedule they want, no matter what the salary?
I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks!

 

[deleted6669]

if you like the job aside from the weekend call you should take it. you can always negotiate for a better salary or schedule after your probationary period is over. my first job was 63 miles from my home and I commuted to work, but it was a great job. over 5 years my salary almost doubled as I got seniority in the group and was able to pick up the choice shifts which paid more. also having some time off during the week every now and then is nice so you can take care of things that are only open m-f 9-5. good luck

 

[PACtoDOC]

If you make at least average pay, suck it up and show them what you are worth. Play your cards right and you will be able to ask for a great deal more later. Sounds to me like they just don't know how to use a PA but it is up to you to show them. Now why though would you be a hospital employee if you are working for a group? That is one thing I would look into because it is pretty damn rare to find a PA that is the hospital employee. Whats bad about that is you have 2 bosses, the physicians and the hospital! That serves to put you in a bad situation. Like EMEDPA, he probably works for the ER physician group so that he is paid by them, works when they want him to, and the like. If he had to report to some senior nurse administration it would complicate things. Just a thought.

Matt

 

[deleted6669]

matt is correct. I do work for for an EM group. the nurses and hospital staff have no say when I work or how fast I go, etc. if they don't like it they can talk to the chief of em, who also is currently chief of staff for the whole hospital. most of the time he responds to complaints with "oh well, I guess it must have been a busy day, huh?"