What do private practice groups look for when hiring?

[osprey099]

I am applying to fellowship this cycle and I am planning to stay at my home program, if possible. My home program is a NCI-designated and comprehensive cancer center but does not have a flashy name. My goal is to join a private practice upon graduating, most likely a group practice that is associated with a local community hospital. I am not interested in academic medicine and do not wish to pursue the assistant professor -> associate -> full professor route at all.

My questions are:
1. What do private practice/community-based group practices look for in potential candidates?
2. How much does the prestige of your fellowship program matter if you are going for private practice/community-based practice?
3. Do I have to hustle and do a lot of research during fellowship or can I just do the bare minimum for the research requirement checkbox?

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[gutonc]

I am applying to fellowship this cycle and I am planning to stay at my home program, if possible. My home program is a NCI-designated and comprehensive cancer center but does not have a flashy name. My goal is to join a private practice upon graduating, most likely a group practice that is associated with a local community hospital. I am not interested in academic medicine and do not wish to pursue the assistant professor -> associate -> full professor route at all.

I'm pretty sure I've answered this a few dozen times or so here but I'll give some quick answers. Note that clinical competency and adequate training are baseline assumptions.

My questions are:
1. What do private practice/community-based group practices look for in potential candidates?

Somebody that fits the culture of the group/practice. What this means will vary from group to group. I look for someone I'd like to have over for dinner or go out for drinks with, not because it's expected, but because I want to.

2. How much does the prestige of your fellowship program matter if you are going for private practice/community-based practice?

I won't say "none" but "very little". Again, this will be somewhat group dependent as prestige ****** go into community practice too. But the 6 docs I've hired in the past 3 years all came from solid, mid-tier programs.

3. Do I have to hustle and do a lot of research during fellowship or can I just do the bare minimum for the research requirement checkbox?

Even some community practices are clinical research heavy. Mine is. But all that means is that, out of the 15-18 docs that work with me, I need 2 or 3 with a significant research interest to help manage clinical trials. That said, I've also hired plenty of folks who just want to put their heads down and grind out the RVUs. So, not really. Check the boxes. Maybe you'll find something that interests you.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

Even some community practices are clinical research heavy. Mine is. But all that means is that, out of the 15-18 docs that work with me, I need 2 or 3 with a significant research interest to help manage clinical trials. That said, I've also hired plenty of folks who just want to put their heads down and grind out the RVUs. So, not really. Check the boxes. Maybe you'll find something that interests you.

Out of curiosity, do those 2 or 3 end up with similar compensation if they’re in the same group or do they take a pay cut for their research interests?

 

[gutonc]

Out of curiosity, do those 2 or 3 end up with similar compensation if they’re in the same group or do they take a pay cut for their research interests?

Base salary (we are salary + production incentive) is the same. The ones with more research time may not see as many patients clinically so may have a lower bonus. The research director of the group also gets a small FTE buy-down.

 

[HemeOncBound87]

I'm pretty sure I've answered this a few dozen times or so here but I'll give some quick answers. Note that clinical competency and adequate training are baseline assumptions.


Somebody that fits the culture of the group/practice. What this means will vary from group to group. I look for someone I'd like to have over for dinner or go out for drinks with, not because it's expected, but because I want to.


I won't say "none" but "very little". Again, this will be somewhat group dependent as prestige ****** go into community practice too. But the 6 docs I've hired in the past 3 years all came from solid, mid-tier programs.


Even some community practices are clinical research heavy. Mine is. But all that means is that, out of the 15-18 docs that work with me, I need 2 or 3 with a significant research interest to help manage clinical trials. That said, I've also hired plenty of folks who just want to put their heads down and grind out the RVUs. So, not really. Check the boxes. Maybe you'll find something that interests you.

How do you even decide who to interview in the first place ?

Would an applicant from a low tier university or community based program turn you off?

 

[gutonc]

How do you even decide who to interview in the first place ?

Would an applicant from a low tier university or community based program turn you off?

I call every single person I get a CV from. We talk about what the position/group/site is like and the patient population and practice setting. We talk compensation in broad outlines. If you tell me at the end of the phone call that you'd like to come out and interview, I'm game. I don't care about your med school or residency of fellowship "tier".

Interviewing people is cheap. Hiring poorly is very expensive.