Las Vegas job ad

[Gfunk6]

One of the job ads on the ASTRO Career Center was soliciting a Rad Onc in Las Vegas.

In the description of this ad was the curious statement, "If applicant believes that referrals and patients primarily come from Medical Oncologists please do not apply for this position as you are wasting your time and mine."

A bit odd, no?

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[evilbooyaa]

One of the job ads on the ASTRO Career Center was soliciting a Rad Onc in Las Vegas.

In the description of this ad was the curious statement, "If applicant believes that referrals and patients primarily come from Medical Oncologists please do not apply for this position as you are wasting your time and mine."

A bit odd, no?

Gotta be ready hand out the cards for referrals on the strip like the ones for strip clubs and 2 for 1 drinks at ****ty strip bars, amirite?

Maybe it's a uro-rads set-up and they're trying to suggest you shouldn't expect med-onc referrals.

Or it's a really go-getter Rad Onc who peacocks for the pulmonologists and PCPs in the community. That private practice mentality

 

[medgator]

One of the job ads on the ASTRO Career Center was soliciting a Rad Onc in Las Vegas.

In the description of this ad was the curious statement, "If applicant believes that referrals and patients primarily come from Medical Oncologists please do not apply for this position as you are wasting your time and mine."

A bit odd, no?

Not at all. not every market in the country is locked down by large med onc/uro groups and one way to try and keep that from happening is to keep a robust and varied network of independent primary referral sources (derm, ent, gi, gen surg, pulm, uro etc).

As I've stated in previous threads, it's very possible to have a successful rad onc practice with the majority of one's referrals coming from outside medical oncology. Or put another way....the same ones feeding them are the same ones that can feed you

 

[medgator]

Or it's a really go-getter Rad Onc who peacocks for the pulmonologists and PCPs in the community. That private practice mentality

More like, private practice reality. Why shouldn't a pulmonologist call me first for hemoptysis or a postobstructive PNA? The smart ones know that chemo is useless in those situations (esp for nsclc) and xrt can get things under control within a few days in some cases.

I personally don't prefer to be spoonfed cases by med onc that could easily come to me directly, especially in a hostile environment (non CON state) where a group of med oncs could go out and hire a rad onc, buy a machine and start competing with me directly.

 

[medgator]

Did someone say peacock? Think i just saw one.
View attachment 223855

 

[evilbooyaa]

More like, private practice reality. Why shouldn't a pulmonologist call me first for hemoptysis or a postobstructive PNA? The smart ones know that chemo is useless in those situations (esp for nsclc) and xrt can get things under control within a few days in some cases.

I personally don't prefer to be spoonfed cases by med onc that could easily come to me directly, especially in a hostile environment (non CON state) where a group of med oncs could go out and hire a rad onc, buy a machine and start competing with me directly.

Didn't mean to come off as disparaging that mentality/reality, if that was how it was taken. Just a statement of fact that that is what the job is asking for.

 

[medgator]

Didn't mean to come off as disparaging that mentality/reality, if that was how it was taken. Just a statement of fact that that is what the job is asking for.

It's not really "peacocking" when that's how you survive/thrive. No offense taken, but it's a common mentality in this specialty that med onc has to drive the train.

PP is a very different beast than academics, especially in a non CON state where there can be multiple groups, some aligned with radiation, some not.

If you don't control your own referral supply, someone else will (aka med oncs decide to bring radiation in house and stop sending to the nearby single-specialty RO group in town).

I've seen it happen and it's something you never really appreciate until you're out in the wild, away from a large academic and or hospital/multi-specialty system

 

[msuxrt]

I'm new in practice and spend some time at a clinic with a weak medical oncology department (lots of turn over, few new patient referrals). I would love to have as it was put above a 'robust and varied network'. Most of the physicians in the area certainly already have their go to guys. What methods have you all successfully used to develop a referral base?

 

[Reaganite]

I'm new in practice and spend some time at a clinic with a weak medical oncology department (lots of turn over, few new patient referrals). I would love to have as it was put above a 'robust and varied network'. Most of the physicians in the area certainly already have their go to guys. What methods have you all successfully used to develop a referral base?

There is really no one size fits all approach. You need to figure out the referral dynamics in your community and then develop a plan. Sometimes, it's as straightforward as marketing directly to the med oncs. Conversely, you might find that all the med oncs are sending to your competitor or they have their own center. In this case, you're gonna have to get the patients before they do as Medgator mentioned. This might mean going to the surgeons, pulmonologists, GI docs, etc. who feed the med oncs. If your area is heavily penetrated by IPAs and the referring docs don't have a choice where their patients go, then negotiating directly with the IPA is more important than meeting with referring docs who don't really control the referrals.

 

[Haybrant]

single payer cant come soon enough.

 

[medgator]

single payer cant come soon enough.

I doubt single payer will end up = single provider/provider group.

Even in Canada, patients still have a choice as to where to go (in most cases)

 

[Haybrant]

I doubt single payer will end = single provider/provider group.

Even in Canada, patients still have a choice as to where to go (in most cases)

think about what this guy is actually saying: "don't waste my time if you cant make me money on the back of cancer patients". Sound like a guy that is doing things by the guidelines? (i do realize thats not necessarily a single payer thing, its just another doc wrapped up in the current incredibly perverse system trying to pass off burdens to someone else)

why would you ever work with someone like this. "Um, im sorry youre not working hard enough to bring in more patients so I can make more money. Try harder."

 

[medgator]

think about what this guy is actually saying: "don't waste my time if you cant make me money". Sound like a guy that is doing things by the guidelines?

Sounds like he/she is looking for someone aggressive in a competitive market, probably with a hostile med onc group that the practice has to compete against.

That doesn't mean he/she is any more or less evidence-based than anyone else. There are shady med oncs, who don't follow guidelines, out in the world too.

As msuxrt pointed out, a weak med onc group can hurt your practice by association if you are overly dependent on them. In the worst case scenario, a strong group of med oncs realizes they control your referrals and they decide to bring radiation in house and make some $$$ as an ancillary service

 

[Reaganite]

Sounds like he/she is looking for someone aggressive in a competitive market, probably with a hostile med onc group that the practice has to compete against.

That doesn't mean he/she is any more or less evidence-based than anyone else. There are shady med oncs, who don't follow guidelines, out in the world too. As msuxrt pointed out, a weak med onc group can hurt your practice by association if you are overly dependent on them.

Exactly what I'm thinking as well. I looked up the Las Vegas market and it looks like there is big-time med onc consolidation with their own XRT centers.

 

[nkmiami]

I believe this if for UNLV and it is actually for a fellowship position.

 

[medgator]

I believe this if for UNLV and it is actually for a fellowship position.

I'm guessing that's a joke? Lol

They listed the practice name in the ad

Navneet Sharda, MD and Cancer Care Center of Las Vegas provides the best Oncology care in Las Vegas.

 

[Mandelin Rain]

Sometimes it's in the delivery. From the very *ahem* brief description, one can get a sense of what's important in this practice. Clicking on the video and seeing that 20(?) year old Clinac 2100 and the what looked to be the world's first PET scanner probably isn't altering opinions.

 

[Gfunk6]

why would you ever work with someone like this. "Um, im sorry youre not working hard enough to bring in more patients so I can make more money. Try harder."

Sounds like a typical conversation that every faculty member has with their department chair annually.

To be blunt, we all are profiting from cancer. Obviously, we provide cure/palliation which gives us higher moral ground than say, faith healers.

 

[Neuronix]

Wait a second... Alright guys mystery solved. I searched his name on Google and got:

Doctors’ bitter fight heading for court

Dr. Sharda actually won a lawsuit against a med onc for defamation. Strong work bro! But no wonder he's not getting referrals from med onc!

 

[Mandelin Rain]

Gaslighting local med oncs, the ROHub board (and by extension, the entirety of our field), and potential applicants to be his "colleague."

This guy has it all. Wouldn't want to work for him in the least, but my guess is you'd always know where you stand with him. There's value to that.

 

[PRAD_ONC]

just for the record ... this job is still available. It's actually partly in Las Vegas and partly in AZ. Its now being advertised a job in western Arizona by some recruiters.

When this job gets filled, I'll know there are literally no jobs in radiation oncology anywhere in the country.

 

[RadOncDoc21]

just for the record ... this job is still available. It's actually partly in Las Vegas and partly in AZ. Its now being advertised a job in western Arizona by some recruiters.

When this job gets filled, I'll know there are literally no jobs in radiation oncology anywhere in the country.

My indication will be the Salina, KS job. That job has been advertised long before I even started my residency.

 

[RSAOaky]

Gaslighting local med oncs, the ROHub board (and by extension, the entirety of our field), and potential applicants to be his "colleague."

This guy has it all. Wouldn't want to work for him in the least, but my guess is you'd always know where you stand with him. There's value to that.

His post on ROHub appears to have been removed but it was classic. Pity it's immortalized in most of our inboxes as part of the ROHub daily digest!

 

[Neuronix]

His post on ROHub appears to have been removed but it was classic. Pity it's immortalized in most of our inboxes as part of the ROHub daily digest!

I'm curious how it got removed. That is, did the author decide on his own he didn't want to post that, did he get messages from people telling him he should take it down, or did the mods just delete it.

 

[thecarbonionangle]

My indication will be the Salina, KS job. That job has been advertised long before I even started my residency.

Honestly curious what is so bad about this job? does it pay well? Has anyone looked into it? Curious. PM me and tell me. if it is just women and minotities who supposedly dont want this job, plenty of white men in rad onc. Why is this job “unfillable”?

 

[thecarbonionangle]

His post on ROHub appears to have been removed but it was classic. Pity it's immortalized in most of our inboxes as part of the ROHub daily digest!

The post about something rotten in state of rad onc was spot on. Probably was threatened and it was taken down. The place is only to call people “misanthropes”. What sorry “leader” some of these people are.

 

[RadOncDoc21]

The post about something rotten in state of rad onc was spot on. Probably was threatened and it was taken down. The place is only to call people “misanthropes”. What sorry “leader” some of these people are.

I had to search in my inbox for it. Great post! I’m not at that stage where I can publicly shame the field but do value his honesty. I’m currently at a place where if the rad onc mentions anything that might be different from the referring docs recs (radiation vs 1000 more cycles of chemo for Hodgkin Lymphoma), we’ll all be homeless. I came into this environment believing data could persuade practice, however trying to change such an already established culture has taken its toll.

 

[scarbrtj]

I had to search in my inbox for it. Great post! I’m not at that stage where I can publicly shame the field but do value his honesty. I’m currently at a place where if the rad onc mentions anything that might be different from the referring docs recs (radiation vs 1000 more cycles of chemo for Hodgkin Lymphoma), we’ll all be homeless. I came into this environment believing data could persuade practice, however trying to change such an already established culture has taken its toll.

Whew. Homelessness is scary! Like Dr. Halperin said somebody said to him, rad oncs are sadly “clinical catfish(es): the bottom-feeding garbage-eater(s) at the end of the clinical referral chain."

 

[xrthopeful]

Honestly curious what is so bad about this job? does it pay well? Has anyone looked into it? Curious. PM me and tell me. if it is just women and minotities who supposedly dont want this job, plenty of white men in rad onc. Why is this job “unfillable”?

because unlike what people here will have you believe, it's isn't true that 'the only available jobs are three hours from a metro area'

That's why the Rhinelander, WI and Salina jobs are always open - they literally are in the middle of nowhere and are actually 2-3 hours from a metro.

for people who are from those areas though or people who want to make a bunch of money - not a bad idea.

 

[xrthopeful]

The post about something rotten in state of rad onc was spot on. Probably was threatened and it was taken down. The place is only to call people “misanthropes”. What sorry “leader” some of these people are.

wait - what exactly are you saying? you don't seem to be following.

people here didn't even like what the guy had to say. no one likes him

try to follow along

 

[medgator]

people here didn't even like what the guy had to say. no one likes him

Seemed like many saw a kernel of truth in it based on the responses in that thread

 

[xrthopeful]

Seemed like many saw a kernel of truth in it based on the responses in that thread

I agree with you actually in thinking its ideal to not have to rely on med oncs

Im aware of a few practices like that, kudos to you and them - clearly takes lot of work

 

[medgator]

because unlike what people here will have you believe, it's isn't true that 'the only available jobs are three hours from a metro area'

That's why the Rhinelander, WI and Salina jobs are always open - they literally are in the middle of nowhere and are actually 2-3 hours from a metro.

for people who are from those areas though or people who want to make a bunch of money - not a bad idea.

I think I've seen this Chico job posted annually the last few years and here it is again!

Northern California