PhD/PsyD Switching Jobs

[Psychfemine22]

Hi all,

I recently started a clinical job and I see burnout in my future due to the high caseload. Other jobs have opened via word of mouth with significantly better pay and maybe a better caseload. I am considering applying but feel conflicted as I only have a few months in my current role. I have never left any job before one year. Any recommendations on switching jobs early?

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[WisNeuro]

Do you like your current job aside from the high caseload? If so, anyway to talk to the employer about caseload and/or reimbursement. If it's a caseload or reimbursement issue, I'm always a fan of seeing if the employer will work with you, assuming it is otherwise a good position. As for leaving before a year is up, isolated incidents don't look bad. But, If I am reviewing a an application that shows that someone does that often, probably not going to look any further at that CV.

 

[Psychfemine22]

Do you like your current job aside from the high caseload? If so, anyway to talk to the employer about caseload and/or reimbursement. If it's a caseload or reimbursement issue, I'm always a fan of seeing if the employer will work with you, assuming it is otherwise a good position. As for leaving before a year is up, isolated incidents don't look bad. But, If I am reviewing a an application that shows that someone does that often, probably not going to look any further at that CV.

I like the job, but the compensation for the number of visits expected per week (30+) is not great considering its a midsized but otherwise expensive city, and the clinical population has a good deal of SMI/trauma, which I like but it can get overwhelming at high numbers. The other employment would be a significant pay pump (around 30k plus) and similar benefits and more in line with the COL of the area. It's a similar population, but there is the possibility for the caseload to be less.

 

[PsyDr]

A 30-40% pay INCREASE? And you're worried about how people see that? I'd be worried if a job applicant told me they turned that down.

Q; "Dr. 11, I see you left this job after a short period of time. Why is that?"
A: "I got a job offer that paid 40% more for less work. Wouldn't you take that? "

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

A 30-40% pay INCREASE? And you're worried about how people see that? I'd be worried if a job applicant told me they turned that down.

Q; "Dr. 11, I see you left this job after a short period of time. Why is that?"
A: "I got a job offer that paid 40% more for less work. Wouldn't you take that? "

I don't know what it is about the culture of clinical psychology training that instills such a strong impulse toward masochism.

 

[IceOnTheDune]

I was in a similar situation to you at my last job. They (non-psychologist administration) rolled out the red carpet during recruitment, but once I arrived I realized the job wasn’t a good fit due to unsustainable caseload demands. Some patients were so spaced out I didn’t remember them from one visit to the next. I stayed over 3 years before applying for and accepting a new job. I did everything in good faith - tried to make the job the best I could during my time there, vocalized concerns in a professional manner, worked to be a good team player, etc. I gave a 3 month notice and was diligent about patient termination and transfers. I still received the cold shoulder from administration when it was time to go.

The further along I get in my career, the more I realize no one will look out for me better than me.

 

[allantois]

Full stop. The employer is greedily keeping your income from you. No reason to feel bad for them at all. The patients can follow you if they like. Just don’t make it a pattern in your resume

 

[WisNeuro]

Full stop. The employer is greedily keeping your income from you. No reason to feel bad for them at all. The patients can follow you if they like. Just don’t make it a pattern in your resume

While true in many cases, dependent on patients and payer sources. In a state that has poor medicaid reimbursement, those practices have pretty slim margins even at low provider pay. One of the reasons hospitals in some areas have either eliminated most of their MH inpatient units, or closed down entirely in certain areas. I'd want more info before laying that kind of accusation, as we see it pretty commonly both ways.

 

[Psychfemine22]

All good points of view. I appreciate the responses.

 

[IceOnTheDune]

All good points of view. I appreciate the responses.

I wish I'd receive more mentorship/training in grad school about money/salary, insurance reimbursement, etc.
That would have been enormously helpful in navigating the professional world as an early career.

I used to think that. However, looking back, I don’t think the professors in my PhD program knew much about the financial side of things.

Once I realized no one was swooping in to educate me about my knowledge gaps, I made the process of learning about finances a hobby. I spent time exploring student loan repayment programs, digging into the billing processes at work, asking questions, doing web searches, reading books, figuring out my own taxes, and listening to podcasts and audiobooks about financial topics. Once you see the payoff via increases in your net worth, it starts becoming fun!

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

All good points of view. I appreciate the responses.

I wish I'd receive more mentorship/training in grad school about money/salary, insurance reimbursement, etc.
That would have been enormously helpful in navigating the professional world as an early career.

My experience in grad school was like (it sounds like) yours was. I think grad school did a good job of laying a solid foundation of how to be a competent scientist-practitioner (or whatever model a program adheres to) but real world factors just aren't in the ambit of most faculty members. At best, they typically will have a limited, highly-select, caseload of cases they provide specialty care for and they are using as a means of keeping their feet in the clinical practice world.

Most (solid) grad school programs teach you how to be a competent scientifically-grounded clinician...HOW to hit the literature and get reliable/valid direction on how to meaningfully assess/treat a disorder or problem you're not that familiar with (or to seek collegial input); HOW to develop an idiographic comprehensive biopsychosocial case formulation and translate that into a treatment plan; HOW to navigate ethical/legal dilemmas; HOW to develop your own questionnaires in a reliable/valid manner (if you need to do that); hell, in my grad program, they made us learn FORTRAN so that [get this] if we needed to develop our own custom statistical techniques/formulae that weren't available in the commercial packages (SPSS or SAS), we could develop our own statistical techniques (rolls eyes). Pretty much overkill for a full-time practitioner but, hey, can't say we weren't prepared to do good work. They do go light on the whole practical application of all this knowledge/ skill building if for no other reason than the fact that a lot of how this is applied is going to be heavily context-dependent on your particular practice area and setting.

But a couple of business or private-practice courses would have been very nice.

 

[texanpsychdoc]

Give them about 2 months notice, transition your clients to someone else. You honestly don't need to give them a reason why you are leaving, it's none of their business. I'd leave on professional terms, be polite about it, but you don't need to justify yourself to others. Looking out for your professional and personal endeavors are never a bad thing. Sure, some people might not like you are leaving, but that's on them. They can make their own choices whether to stay there or not. You are not your brother's keeper.

Nothing ventured nothing gained. Sometimes you might make some errors...that's fine, learn from them. Maybe this potential transition is the best thing for you, perhaps not. If not, then learn whatever relevant lessons need to be learned, then try to implement those as you move forward. I wouldn't fault you for wanting to explore what is available. Clearly this position is rubbing you in a way that is potentially mis-aligning you with your values, so, now you are looking to get re-aligned. Makes sense.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Nothing to add that wasn’t already said. Good luck with the new job!