With anything in life, your experience defines your expectation. Me?
I grew up in a small town of about 1,100 people in rural Nebraska. 95% of the community probably could have been categorized as “middle class”, me included. My brother and I never had less than my classmates and we never had more either. My mom was a nurse and my dad managed a trucking company. Neither made much more than maybe $25,000-$30,000 a year back in what I refer to as the height of my hair-growth, otherwise known as the 90s.
So when I came out of college and chose to be an elementary school teacher I started at about $26,000. This was about what I expected based on my career choice and experience growing up. It was also 26,000 times more than I was making as a college student. Based on my experiences, had someone asked me what “a lot” of money was, I probably would have said $40,000. However, had someone asked my friends in college, whose parents worked for large companies, that same question, they would probably say “a lot” was $400,000.
Another example of this can be found in my current office environment. One of my colleagues whom I won’t refer to by name, but we’ll just call him Bill Payson, is what some would call vertically challenged. If someone asked him what he would consider to be “tall”, he would probably answer 5’5″. Now, myself being of more generous proportions, I would consider tall to be over 6’5″.
So what does any of that have to do with the world of physicians and the recruiters who bombard their phones and emails on a daily basis? Well, everything….
As a physician recruiter, there are two mottos I try to conduct myself by.
“Don’t waste the physician’s time.”
and
“Don’t waste the physician’s time.”
As a physician you have an extremely limited amount of time, not to mention limited cell phone minutes. It’s important for you to make the most out of the time that you are on the phone with one of the millions of recruiters that call you throughout the day. I’ve heard quite a few physicians over the years say “Why are you wasting my time with this position? This is not at all what I told you I wanted.”
But, the questions I have for you are, “What did you actually say you wanted? Were you specific in your answers or did you give answers that were relative to your personal experience? When you said tall did you mean 5’5″ or 6’5?”
This becomes exceedingly important when it comes to locum tenens coverage.
All physicians, all people for that matter, want to make top dollar for their time and commitment, but it’s also important professionally and liability-wise that the physician’s skills and experience are accurately matched with the right hospital and right assignment. As important as that is for you, the physician, it’s exponentially even more important for the hospital’s continuity of care and the community you will be serving.
If you say you want to make the “going rate” or “good money” or “market value”, what does that actually mean to you? On top of that, what does that then mean in terms of the responsibilities you are comfortable with?
In regards to “normal” patient volumes, do you see the “average?” Average for what? The metropolitan city of Nashville, Tennessee or the unincorporated town of Nashville, Nebraska?
If you want $200 an hour, what does that entail? Does that $200 an hour represent a 12-hour shift at a Level 1 Trauma Center where you will see 20 patients? Or does it represent a rural hospital where you’ll see two patients and ship-out serious injuries? If $200 is for the 20 patients option, then what would be an acceptable rate for you for the two patient rural option?
What about the “usual” procedures? Usual for who? Me, the person with a degree in finger painting and no medical background who is looking on behalf of a hospital that needs a physician to do lumbar punctures, central lines, and intubations? Or you, the physician who only does outpatient procedures?
Now, the shared responsibility also falls on me, the physician recruiter. I need to be very specific in the questions I ask you…..qualify, clarify, qualify, clarify. If I am not doing that, then you may want reconsider the recruiter you are working with. If I accept vague, non-specific answers from you, then be ready to receive every job that doesn’t fit what you are looking for or able to do.
So to wrap up this little diatribe, relative to my experience I would say this blog was short, delightful, and possibly life changing. However, keep in mind that I enjoy excel spreadsheets, papercuts, 4-hour root canals without anesthetic, and my last blog was 5-6 pages long.
What would you say?
Please be specific…..
Travis Brown is a regional account manager for the Physician Division of Aureus Medical Group. He specializes in identifying the “right fits” for each individual hospital, health system, and physician he works for. He is in his second year with Aureus Medical Group following his time in sales management and teaching elementary school. Originally from Arlington, NE, Travis graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Education and in his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, coaching basketball, and skiing in the mountains of Colorado.