So what are the best resources I should be using in my job search?

[Cascade22]

For context I’m a PGY4 at a big Northeast city residency program. I’m originally from California and hope to move back there, specifically the Bay Area (or Seattle since my significant other has family there) but regardless I’ll be moving to a place with no connections.

Looking for an outpatient position. I’ve looked through the APA jobs site as well as places like PracticeLink but it seems Kaiser and LifeStance take up most of those listings and I’m not sure those are places I want to work in. The VA has caught my eye as well but I have more to mull over there.

At this point I’m worried I’m behind the curve as a co resident had signed a contract by like early October and I feel like I’m floundering a bit. I have started work on my CA licensing and I am close to submitting so that’s something.

I figure I should try to look at smaller independent outpatient clinics in the Bay Area and nearby areas and see if they have job openings and go from there, is google my best friend?

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[Celexa]

Best approach is to find places you might want to work at and email directly asking if they are hiring. Don't rely on public job postings. Also work your network. There are surely people from your residency who moved to the west coast--look them up and see if they have any insight.

 

[splik]

You need to get that license. Some places may not consider you without it. It can take 5-6 months to get a CA license. You won’t be able to start credentialing with some practices until then which can be another 3 months thereafter

The NCPS careers fair is in a few weeks may be worth flying out to attend

If you attend one of the better programs in the NE there must be alumni in the Bay Area you could reach out to

Have a look at the following: bay psychiatric associates, baywell, psychiatric alternatives and wellness, savant care, comprehensive psychiatric services, women’s wellness psychiatry for private practice

SF DPH and San Mateo BHRS and traditions behavioral health for community psych.

Stanford and UCSF for academics

CPMC/Sutter/Palo Alto Medical Foundation for hospital based outpatient

Kaiser can be good options for some people

Don’t use practice link. Suggest indeed, LinkedIn and the APA jobs board. Also try some of the psych Facebook groups.

For Seattle look at psychiatric medicine associates and SeattleNTC for private practice

There are a ton of community clinics which are all privatized.

Kaiser is an option there too.

Hospital based includes UW, Virginia Mason, Swedish and the VA

The main insurances in WA like regence and premera pay decent so many people start their own practices. Also possible to have a cash practice in Seattle though less so than the Bay Area. People expect to use their insurance in Seattle though I know many people with successful cash pp there as well

You are not late at all I’m looking for a job but a bit late in terms of applying for license

 

[Cascade22]

You need to get that license. Some places may not consider you without it. It can take 5-6 months to get a CA license. You won’t be able to start credentialing with some practices until then which can be another 3 months thereafter

The NCPS careers fair is in a few weeks may be worth flying out to attend

If you attend one of the better programs in the NE there must be alumni in the Bay Area you could reach out to

Have a look at the following: bay psychiatric associates, baywell, psychiatric alternatives and wellness, savant care, comprehensive psychiatric services, women’s wellness psychiatry for private practice

SF DPH and San Mateo BHRS and traditions behavioral health for community psych.

Stanford and UCSF for academics

CPMC/Sutter/Palo Alto Medical Foundation for hospital based outpatient

Kaiser can be good options for some people

Don’t use practice link. Suggest indeed, LinkedIn and the APA jobs board. Also try some of the psych Facebook groups.

For Seattle look at psychiatric medicine associates and SeattleNTC for private practice

There are a ton of community clinics which are all privatized.

Kaiser is an option there too.

Hospital based includes UW, Virginia Mason, Swedish and the VA

The main insurances in WA like regence and premera pay decent so many people start their own practices. Also possible to have a cash practice in Seattle though less so than the Bay Area. People expect to use their insurance in Seattle though I know many people with successful cash pp there as well

You are not late at all I’m looking for a job but a bit late in terms of applying for license

Thanks so much for all this info and advice. Actually planning on submitting my license application by the end of tomorrow and I'll look into your suggestions.

 

[forchinet121]

You need to get that license. Some places may not consider you without it. It can take 5-6 months to get a CA license. You won’t be able to start credentialing with some practices until then which can be another 3 months thereafter

The NCPS careers fair is in a few weeks may be worth flying out to attend

If you attend one of the better programs in the NE there must be alumni in the Bay Area you could reach out to

Have a look at the following: bay psychiatric associates, baywell, psychiatric alternatives and wellness, savant care, comprehensive psychiatric services, women’s wellness psychiatry for private practice

SF DPH and San Mateo BHRS and traditions behavioral health for community psych.

Stanford and UCSF for academics

CPMC/Sutter/Palo Alto Medical Foundation for hospital based outpatient

Kaiser can be good options for some people

Don’t use practice link. Suggest indeed, LinkedIn and the APA jobs board. Also try some of the psych Facebook groups.

For Seattle look at psychiatric medicine associates and SeattleNTC for private practice

There are a ton of community clinics which are all privatized.

Kaiser is an option there too.

Hospital based includes UW, Virginia Mason, Swedish and the VA

The main insurances in WA like regence and premera pay decent so many people start their own practices. Also possible to have a cash practice in Seattle though less so than the Bay Area. People expect to use their insurance in Seattle though I know many people with successful cash pp there as well

You are not late at all I’m looking for a job but a bit late in terms of applying for license

6 months for a license? Is that true even if you get a recruiter to do it all for you? That’s insane right? What about if you have a license from another state isn’t there a compact you can do to expedite the process?

 

[Psychresy]

6 months for a license? Is that true even if you get a recruiter to do it all for you? That’s insane right? What about if you have a license from another state isn’t there a compact you can do to expedite the process?

Can confirm - it took me 6 months. I dont believe CA participates in that inter-state agreement.

 

[forchinet121]

Can confirm - it took me 6 months. I dont believe CA participates in that inter-state agreement.

6 months is insane if a hospital or clinic loses a doc they have to wait 6 months to replace them? That seems absurd and horrible for patients

 

[Atreides]

Yeah, took me a little over 5 months to get my CA license.

 

[Cascade22]

If I submit my license soon, when I apply for jobs will they still take my application into account? Even though my license will be processing for months?

I mean I won’t be starting until the summer anyway but yeesh.

 

[hamstergang]

6 months is insane if a hospital or clinic loses a doc they have to wait 6 months to replace them? That seems absurd and horrible for patients

Some people already have a license in California so the hospital wouldn't have to wait 6 months for them.

 

[forchinet121]

Some people already have a license in California so the hospital wouldn't have to wait 6 months for them.

True but that’s so cumbersome that would dissuade so many people from working there..I guess they don’t need more psychiatrists its probably saturated there anyhow

 

[Candidate2017]

If I submit my license soon, when I apply for jobs will they still take my application into account? Even though my license will be processing for months?

I mean I won’t be starting until the summer anyway but yeesh.

Calfornia no longer even gives licenses to resident physicians. So I doubt the Politburo cares about expediting your license.

 

[Psychresy]

True but that’s so cumbersome that would dissuade so many people from working there..I guess they don’t need more psychiatrists its probably saturated there anyhow

Job search hasn't seemed like is saturated

 

[Stagg737]

Look on the "Psychiatry Network" FB group (over 13k members) and agree with directly contacting clinics. You're not behind in terms of having a job yet. I ended up "creating" my position in March/April of PGY-4, so plenty of time on that front. Get your license done ASAP though. Some states are far worse than others and California seems to be on the worse end of that spectrum. Took me about 12 weeks to get my current license, and that was with a few weeks of initial confusion regarding of the required documents and how they were submitted online.

 

[clozareal]

If I submit my license soon, when I apply for jobs will they still take my application into account? Even though my license will be processing for months?

I mean I won’t be starting until the summer anyway but yeesh.

I would imagine so. Employers know how long it can take for these administrative tasks to get done. Even if you get hired, it might take months for the formal offer letter and finalizing negotiation. Depending on where you work, it might take several more months to get credentialed by the system and then contracted by the insurances...

 

[annoyedpsychiatrist]

getting a license/how much of a pain definitely depends on a state and i will +1 and say that already having my license in the state I was looking for jobs made it one less headache to deal with of trying to figure out a start date. If you're dead set on one state I dont think theres harm in getting your license before the job and it makes the process overall less painful, imo.

I know on SDN people dont like recruiter ads, and ultimately these people are just used car salesmen, but sometimes they do present good jobs (they just also present a lot of crap ones too). They're just annoying as hell, and I always hated the line "lets make an apt to talk on the phone" like no just text me, and if I like what I hear maybe we can talk...I found my current job through a recruiter that I probably wouldnt have known about otherwise.

 

[Cascade22]

So as an update for this. I submitted all my license application stuff in early January and I'm now just waiting to hear back (which I hear is the long part).

I've sent applications out to a few places in Norcal. I've heard back from a few. Namely had an informational call with PAWC about a 1099 position but they probably don't have any openings until January. (And since my SO has health problems I would want a W-2 at this point)

Otherwise I sent in an application to Sutter last Friday and I'm looking into Kaiser (have a family friend extremely happy in Psychiatry at Kaiser Fremont but have had terrible things for Kaiser Pleasanton so this seems very location dependent).

Thank you all for the help so far in the process.

 

[comp1]

CA definitely doesn't participate in any sort of interstate compact and the estimates above sound right if not optimistic. HOWEVER, you don't have to worry about that CA license if you come work for the VA! Plenty of jobs available throughout the Bay Area. USAJOBS - The Federal Government's official employment site

 

[calvinhobbes]

6 months for a license? Is that true even if you get a recruiter to do it all for you? That’s insane right? What about if you have a license from another state isn’t there a compact you can do to expedite the process?

Yeah, Cali takes 6 months. They are notoriously meticulous about every single detail and also probably have a large number of applicants and not enough staff. Took me 6 months too.