Signing a contract while in training

[TUHopeful]

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Anyone having any experience with signing a contract while still early in training, i.e. what to ask for, pitfalls, implications, etc. I've heard of people getting their student loans paid off and getting a stipend while still in training. If you known there is a specific group of place you want to practice I think this could be a reasonable thing to do, if you want to remain flexible, maybe not so much. Any comments?

 

[ESU_MD]

Nice concept and i know of sporadic success.

However, in my personal experience jobs that are good do not pay well at first, ie no big signon bonus, etc. Think about it- no matter how good you think you are, no matter how many whipples you "did" nobody wants a new guy/girl. If a place is desparate enough, they will pay anyone alot of money and beware.

Now some good jobs will give you $1000/month or something for goodwill, but thats chumpchange.

If it seems to be to good to be true, it likely is

 

[igap]

I am staunchly opposed to this type of arrangement since most junior residents know nothing about negotiating contracts, and "what to ask for". Unfortunately an anonymous internet web board is not going to be able to supply you with answers that may be regional, or personal and unique to you.

The risk is high that you will sign an unfavorable contract and be stuck with it. There is very limited upside for you, and extreme upside for the employer.

 

[45408]

My last chief signed a contract in his last year (about 8 months before graduating), and he was getting a few thousand a month as a stipend.

I don't know of anyone who signed any contracts any sooner than their last year of training.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I see very little advantage to doing so except in the limited cases where you HAVE to be in a certain location and jobs there are hard to find. You will generally get reamed in these sort of contracts because, as noted above, no one wants the new guy so the job probably sucks.

My advice is to take it slow. As a matter of fact, if you can get a good moonlighting gig (i.e., pays enough to meet your bills), you might consider doing that until you find the right thing. I didn't sign my contract until May of my last fellowship year, and didn't start working until November. But I had the luxury of the moonlighting which allowed me to relax while looking for a job (and then once I found one, just working a few shifts a month while I prepared for my move).

Almost all of us started getting calls for jobs as PGY3s or so; I know no one who took one of these jobs.