Dike Drummond, MD

You must ask these questions if you are going to avoid the top three reasons employed physicians quit down the road. Let me give you a big list of queries and a method you can use in your interview to make a quality decision about your contract.

(Note: If you are not searching for a job at the moment ... This is a very interesting set of questions to ask about your current job. The answers may surprise you and give you some ideas on how to improve the quality of your work day.)

Let’s set the stage

I assume you have avoided the physician job search No. 1 mistake and have actually created an Ideal Job Description ... Yes? You will dramatically increase the odds of finding a great position when you compare your Ideal Job Description to any offers you get.

In your interview, I am sure you will ask the usual questions ... things like:

• How do I get paid?

• What is the call schedule?

• What are my benefits, and how much time off do I get?

These questions are important, and they give you no idea of what your day-to-day work experience will be with this group, in this facility, in this larger organization. Remember that the top three reasons employed physicians quit are culture, the way the group makes decisions, and the quality of your immediate supervisor.

This question list is designed to help you understand these important issues.

How to ask your interview questions

1) Take the questions below as a written list.

Yep, take a clipboard and this list so you make sure to ask all the questions. There is a piece of you that is hesitant to do this and will want to memorize the questions. But you are working too hard and that is just a piece of your physician programming. Honest. Take the list with you and take notes about the answers.

2) Channel Columbo.

The people interviewing you will have never heard questions like this. They might say something like, “Wow, never heard that question before.” It helps to have a way to ask these questions in a very nonthreatening manner. The key is to channel Columbo.

You remember the detective in the TV series with the baggy coat and half-chewed cigar? When you channel Columbo ... you start your questions with ...

• I’m curious .....

• I’m confused here, maybe you can help me out ...

Be “curious” and “confused.” Ask them to help you understand. You will be surprised at the candor of their answers when you adopt this attitude.

© iStock / ThinkStockPhotos.com

The questions

These questions are intended to give you specific information about the three main reasons you might eventually quit this position ... up front where you need it the most. I suggest you use these questions as raw materials to craft specific questions you would be comfortable asking in your interview. Then put them on a written list, take them with you to the interview, and channel your best Columbo.

1) Group culture:

• How long has this group existed?

• Please tell me a little about its history.

• Is there a group mission statement?

• If so, do the doctors and staff and the quality of their lives appear in it?

• How would you describe the culture of this group?

• If there were one thing you could change about the group’s culture, what would that be?

• How well do you feel the group members like each other?

• Do group members hang out together when not in the office?

• How much do you feel your partners “have your back”?

• Please tell me about the compensation formula.

• What physician behaviors is this compensation formula intended to motivate?

•If I worked here and wanted to maximize my compensation ... what is the simplest way for me to do that?

• Which do you feel the group values more as a whole ... making money or the quality of the care you provide?

• How much does the group believe that having a balanced life outside of your medical practice is important?

• What is the process you use to bring a new physician on board? What training, mentoring, and coaching would I receive, from whom and for how long?

• Who are the physicians in the group currently in this onboarding process? May I speak with one of them?

2) How the group makes decisions:

• How does this group make decisions?

• How often does the group meet to discuss the practice and the systems used to deliver care?

• Has the group ever had a strategic planning retreat?

• If so, how long ago was the last one?

• Who are the leaders of the group and how are they selected/elected?

• What were the last three significant decisions the group made?

• What happens if one or more physicians disagree with a decision the group has made?

• What is the relationship between the physicians and the administration?

• What happens if the physicians have made a decision and the administration (CEO, board of directors, executive committee) disagrees?

• Who were the last three physicians to leave the group and why did they leave?

• May I have their contact information so I can ask them a few questions?

3) Your immediate supervisor:

• Who would be my immediate supervisor or “boss” or the person in this group / organization that I report directly to? May I speak with him or her, too?

• Are you a physician?

• Do you still see patients?

• How long have you been in this position?

• How would you describe your leadership style?

• Does the group pay you for your leadership activities?

• If yes, do you feel it is a fair payment when compared with what you make seeing patients?

• What training have you had in physician leadership?

• Assuming I were to accept this position, how often would you and I meet?

• How would you like me to communicate with you if I have a question or concern?

• How would you communicate back with me and in what time frame?

• What happens if you and I were ever to disagree about a decision/project/action step ... what would we do then and how would we resolve our disagreement?

• What do you feel is the most stressful part of your job when you are serving as a physician leader?

• What is currently the biggest challenge to this group?

• What do you see as the biggest challenge to the group in the next 5 years?

Now it’s your turn

If you have an interview coming up ... make your list and take it with you.

If you are in a position now and not looking to change, I still suggest you answer these questions about your current group just to make sure you recognize these potential seeds of future discontent early. In my work as an executive coach with hundreds of overstressed doctors, it is not uncommon for them to quit a job and realize these issues only in hindsight.

Don’t let that happen to you.

Dike Drummond, M.D., is a family physician, executive coach, and creator of the Burnout Prevention MATRIX Free Report with over 117 different ways physicians and organizations can lower stress and prevent burnout. He provides stress management, burnout prevention, and physician wellness and engagement coaching and consulting through his website, The Happy MD.

You must ask these questions if you are going to avoid the top three reasons employed physicians quit down the road. Let me give you a big list of queries and a method you can use in your interview to make a quality decision about your contract.

(Note: If you are not searching for a job at the moment ... This is a very interesting set of questions to ask about your current job. The answers may surprise you and give you some ideas on how to improve the quality of your work day.)

Let’s set the stage

I assume you have avoided the physician job search No. 1 mistake and have actually created an Ideal Job Description ... Yes? You will dramatically increase the odds of finding a great position when you compare your Ideal Job Description to any offers you get.

In your interview, I am sure you will ask the usual questions ... things like:

• How do I get paid?

• What is the call schedule?

• What are my benefits, and how much time off do I get?

These questions are important, and they give you no idea of what your day-to-day work experience will be with this group, in this facility, in this larger organization. Remember that the top three reasons employed physicians quit are culture, the way the group makes decisions, and the quality of your immediate supervisor.

This question list is designed to help you understand these important issues.

How to ask your interview questions

1) Take the questions below as a written list.

Yep, take a clipboard and this list so you make sure to ask all the questions. There is a piece of you that is hesitant to do this and will want to memorize the questions. But you are working too hard and that is just a piece of your physician programming. Honest. Take the list with you and take notes about the answers.

2) Channel Columbo.

The people interviewing you will have never heard questions like this. They might say something like, “Wow, never heard that question before.” It helps to have a way to ask these questions in a very nonthreatening manner. The key is to channel Columbo.

You remember the detective in the TV series with the baggy coat and half-chewed cigar? When you channel Columbo ... you start your questions with ...

• I’m curious .....

• I’m confused here, maybe you can help me out ...

Be “curious” and “confused.” Ask them to help you understand. You will be surprised at the candor of their answers when you adopt this attitude.

© iStock / ThinkStockPhotos.com

The questions

These questions are intended to give you specific information about the three main reasons you might eventually quit this position ... up front where you need it the most. I suggest you use these questions as raw materials to craft specific questions you would be comfortable asking in your interview. Then put them on a written list, take them with you to the interview, and channel your best Columbo.

1) Group culture:

• How long has this group existed?

• Please tell me a little about its history.

• Is there a group mission statement?

• If so, do the doctors and staff and the quality of their lives appear in it?

• How would you describe the culture of this group?

• If there were one thing you could change about the group’s culture, what would that be?

• How well do you feel the group members like each other?

• Do group members hang out together when not in the office?

• How much do you feel your partners “have your back”?

• Please tell me about the compensation formula.

• What physician behaviors is this compensation formula intended to motivate?

•If I worked here and wanted to maximize my compensation ... what is the simplest way for me to do that?

• Which do you feel the group values more as a whole ... making money or the quality of the care you provide?

• How much does the group believe that having a balanced life outside of your medical practice is important?

• What is the process you use to bring a new physician on board? What training, mentoring, and coaching would I receive, from whom and for how long?

• Who are the physicians in the group currently in this onboarding process? May I speak with one of them?

2) How the group makes decisions:

• How does this group make decisions?

• How often does the group meet to discuss the practice and the systems used to deliver care?

• Has the group ever had a strategic planning retreat?

• If so, how long ago was the last one?

• Who are the leaders of the group and how are they selected/elected?

• What were the last three significant decisions the group made?

• What happens if one or more physicians disagree with a decision the group has made?

• What is the relationship between the physicians and the administration?

• What happens if the physicians have made a decision and the administration (CEO, board of directors, executive committee) disagrees?

• Who were the last three physicians to leave the group and why did they leave?

• May I have their contact information so I can ask them a few questions?

3) Your immediate supervisor:

• Who would be my immediate supervisor or “boss” or the person in this group / organization that I report directly to? May I speak with him or her, too?

• Are you a physician?

• Do you still see patients?

• How long have you been in this position?

• How would you describe your leadership style?

• Does the group pay you for your leadership activities?

• If yes, do you feel it is a fair payment when compared with what you make seeing patients?

• What training have you had in physician leadership?

• Assuming I were to accept this position, how often would you and I meet?

• How would you like me to communicate with you if I have a question or concern?

• How would you communicate back with me and in what time frame?

• What happens if you and I were ever to disagree about a decision/project/action step ... what would we do then and how would we resolve our disagreement?

• What do you feel is the most stressful part of your job when you are serving as a physician leader?

• What is currently the biggest challenge to this group?

• What do you see as the biggest challenge to the group in the next 5 years?

Now it’s your turn

If you have an interview coming up ... make your list and take it with you.

If you are in a position now and not looking to change, I still suggest you answer these questions about your current group just to make sure you recognize these potential seeds of future discontent early. In my work as an executive coach with hundreds of overstressed doctors, it is not uncommon for them to quit a job and realize these issues only in hindsight.

Don’t let that happen to you.

Dike Drummond, M.D., is a family physician, executive coach, and creator of the Burnout Prevention MATRIX Free Report with over 117 different ways physicians and organizations can lower stress and prevent burnout. He provides stress management, burnout prevention, and physician wellness and engagement coaching and consulting through his website, The Happy MD.

You must ask these questions if you are going to avoid the top three reasons employed physicians quit down the road. Let me give you a big list of queries and a method you can use in your interview to make a quality decision about your contract.

(Note: If you are not searching for a job at the moment ... This is a very interesting set of questions to ask about your current job. The answers may surprise you and give you some ideas on how to improve the quality of your work day.)

Let’s set the stage

I assume you have avoided the physician job search No. 1 mistake and have actually created an Ideal Job Description ... Yes? You will dramatically increase the odds of finding a great position when you compare your Ideal Job Description to any offers you get.

In your interview, I am sure you will ask the usual questions ... things like:

• How do I get paid?

• What is the call schedule?

• What are my benefits, and how much time off do I get?

These questions are important, and they give you no idea of what your day-to-day work experience will be with this group, in this facility, in this larger organization. Remember that the top three reasons employed physicians quit are culture, the way the group makes decisions, and the quality of your immediate supervisor.

This question list is designed to help you understand these important issues.

How to ask your interview questions

1) Take the questions below as a written list.

Yep, take a clipboard and this list so you make sure to ask all the questions. There is a piece of you that is hesitant to do this and will want to memorize the questions. But you are working too hard and that is just a piece of your physician programming. Honest. Take the list with you and take notes about the answers.

2) Channel Columbo.

The people interviewing you will have never heard questions like this. They might say something like, “Wow, never heard that question before.” It helps to have a way to ask these questions in a very nonthreatening manner. The key is to channel Columbo.

You remember the detective in the TV series with the baggy coat and half-chewed cigar? When you channel Columbo ... you start your questions with ...

• I’m curious .....

• I’m confused here, maybe you can help me out ...

Be “curious” and “confused.” Ask them to help you understand. You will be surprised at the candor of their answers when you adopt this attitude.

© iStock / ThinkStockPhotos.com

The questions

These questions are intended to give you specific information about the three main reasons you might eventually quit this position ... up front where you need it the most. I suggest you use these questions as raw materials to craft specific questions you would be comfortable asking in your interview. Then put them on a written list, take them with you to the interview, and channel your best Columbo.

1) Group culture:

• How long has this group existed?

• Please tell me a little about its history.

• Is there a group mission statement?

• If so, do the doctors and staff and the quality of their lives appear in it?

• How would you describe the culture of this group?

• If there were one thing you could change about the group’s culture, what would that be?

• How well do you feel the group members like each other?

• Do group members hang out together when not in the office?

• How much do you feel your partners “have your back”?

• Please tell me about the compensation formula.

• What physician behaviors is this compensation formula intended to motivate?

•If I worked here and wanted to maximize my compensation ... what is the simplest way for me to do that?

• Which do you feel the group values more as a whole ... making money or the quality of the care you provide?

• How much does the group believe that having a balanced life outside of your medical practice is important?

• What is the process you use to bring a new physician on board? What training, mentoring, and coaching would I receive, from whom and for how long?

• Who are the physicians in the group currently in this onboarding process? May I speak with one of them?

2) How the group makes decisions:

• How does this group make decisions?

• How often does the group meet to discuss the practice and the systems used to deliver care?

• Has the group ever had a strategic planning retreat?

• If so, how long ago was the last one?

• Who are the leaders of the group and how are they selected/elected?

• What were the last three significant decisions the group made?

• What happens if one or more physicians disagree with a decision the group has made?

• What is the relationship between the physicians and the administration?

• What happens if the physicians have made a decision and the administration (CEO, board of directors, executive committee) disagrees?

• Who were the last three physicians to leave the group and why did they leave?

• May I have their contact information so I can ask them a few questions?

3) Your immediate supervisor:

• Who would be my immediate supervisor or “boss” or the person in this group / organization that I report directly to? May I speak with him or her, too?

• Are you a physician?

• Do you still see patients?

• How long have you been in this position?

• How would you describe your leadership style?

• Does the group pay you for your leadership activities?

• If yes, do you feel it is a fair payment when compared with what you make seeing patients?

• What training have you had in physician leadership?

• Assuming I were to accept this position, how often would you and I meet?

• How would you like me to communicate with you if I have a question or concern?

• How would you communicate back with me and in what time frame?

• What happens if you and I were ever to disagree about a decision/project/action step ... what would we do then and how would we resolve our disagreement?

• What do you feel is the most stressful part of your job when you are serving as a physician leader?

• What is currently the biggest challenge to this group?

• What do you see as the biggest challenge to the group in the next 5 years?

Now it’s your turn

If you have an interview coming up ... make your list and take it with you.

If you are in a position now and not looking to change, I still suggest you answer these questions about your current group just to make sure you recognize these potential seeds of future discontent early. In my work as an executive coach with hundreds of overstressed doctors, it is not uncommon for them to quit a job and realize these issues only in hindsight.

Don’t let that happen to you.

Dike Drummond, M.D., is a family physician, executive coach, and creator of the Burnout Prevention MATRIX Free Report with over 117 different ways physicians and organizations can lower stress and prevent burnout. He provides stress management, burnout prevention, and physician wellness and engagement coaching and consulting through his website, The Happy MD.

In this article, let me show you the No. 1 mistake the vast majority of physicians make when looking for a position. When you avoid this mistake, you stand a much better chance of landing your ideal job.

Here is the physician job-search mistake in a nutshell: Do not search for a job the same way you applied to Medical School or Residency

If you do, your success in this employed position will rely purely on luck. Here is what I mean.

For most of us, the last experience we had of interviewing for a position was our application to Medical School and/or Residency. In this situation, we were basically doing anything we could to be accepted. We were saying, “Pick me, Pick me” and doing whatever it took to make it into the ranks of the chosen.

That is not what a job search is about. In fact, a healthy job search turns the tables 180 degrees – it is an awareness mind flip.

In your search for a permanent position, you want to make sure this is a place you will fit in – long term. In order to do that well, you must have an Ideal Job Description and be screening job opportunities to see if they fit your Ideal Job.

Now you are screening them ...

I have to repeat this because it is so important: You must know what you are looking for first and ask the questions required to screen them to see if they match your Ideal Job Description.

This process allows you to come home from your interview and make a high quality decision about this particular job offer. It is this simple: With your Ideal Job Description in one hand and the results of your interview in the other hand, you create a Venn diagram and measure the overlap.

Once you are able to make this comparison, you only have one decision to make: How much overlap is enough to say yes to this offer?

When you approach your physician job search in this fashion you are focused on what you want – Your Ideal Job, rather than taking any opportunity where you will be accepted. So ... what is your Ideal Job Description?

Most doctors have never created a description of their Ideal Job. We spend our time coping with the areas in our current position that are painful and anything other than “ideal.” Grab a pen and some paper. Imagine you have a Magic Wand in your hand ... you wave it and ... POOF, there’s your Dream Job in all of its glory.

Write down all the characteristics of your Ideal Job in as much detail as possible.

Here are some of the questions you will want to answer:

• What do you want to be doing - what kinds of patients and cases?

• In what setting?

• For how many hours a week?

• For what pay and benefits?

• In how big of a group?

• Where – in what area of what country?

• With what group culture and work environment?

• What are the characteristics you want in your boss?

• List all the pertinent positives and negatives.

• BOTH the things you want AND the things you want to make sure are NOT there.

This is a living document. You will add to it and subtract from it over time as you get more and more clear.

===========

Power Tip #1:

Write it down in ink on paper. Keep your Ideal Job Description in a folder with a nice label in a place so you will see it weekly. You will use this description in both your job search and in continuously improving any position you ultimately take.

You are taking something that exists only in your imagination and beginning the process of turning it into reality. The move from thought to physical pen strokes on physical paper is step No. 1. And I know this is “old school.” Try it for yourself.

Power Tip #2:

Write it down, even if you feel it is something that is “impossible.” Write it down anyway. It is a goal to shoot for that will shape your decision in a healthy way. There is no job that is a 100% overlap with your ideal. This does NOT mean you can’t aim in that direction.

Note: There are some specialties where the job market is so tight that you must still work hard to get accepted – radiology comes immediately to mind. This process works best in specialties that are in high demand at this time – especially Family Practice and all other forms of primary care.

Creating your Ideal Job Description and using it to drive your job search is Step No. 1 in getting the position you really want. In a future column, I will give you a set of questions you can ask in your job interview that will give you a clear read on the group’s culture, decision-making style and the quality of your immediate supervisor. With this information in hand, you will dramatically improve the odds that your next job is a permanent happy home for your practice.

===========

Guest contributor Dr. Dike Drummond, is a family physician, executive coach, and creator of the Burnout Prevention MATRIX Free Report with more than 117 different ways physicians and organizations can lower stress and prevent burnout. He provides stress management, burnout prevention, and physician wellness, and engagement coaching and consulting through his website, TheHappyMD.com.

In this article, let me show you the No. 1 mistake the vast majority of physicians make when looking for a position. When you avoid this mistake, you stand a much better chance of landing your ideal job.

Here is the physician job-search mistake in a nutshell: Do not search for a job the same way you applied to Medical School or Residency

If you do, your success in this employed position will rely purely on luck. Here is what I mean.

For most of us, the last experience we had of interviewing for a position was our application to Medical School and/or Residency. In this situation, we were basically doing anything we could to be accepted. We were saying, “Pick me, Pick me” and doing whatever it took to make it into the ranks of the chosen.

That is not what a job search is about. In fact, a healthy job search turns the tables 180 degrees – it is an awareness mind flip.

In your search for a permanent position, you want to make sure this is a place you will fit in – long term. In order to do that well, you must have an Ideal Job Description and be screening job opportunities to see if they fit your Ideal Job.

Now you are screening them ...

I have to repeat this because it is so important: You must know what you are looking for first and ask the questions required to screen them to see if they match your Ideal Job Description.

This process allows you to come home from your interview and make a high quality decision about this particular job offer. It is this simple: With your Ideal Job Description in one hand and the results of your interview in the other hand, you create a Venn diagram and measure the overlap.

Once you are able to make this comparison, you only have one decision to make: How much overlap is enough to say yes to this offer?

When you approach your physician job search in this fashion you are focused on what you want – Your Ideal Job, rather than taking any opportunity where you will be accepted. So ... what is your Ideal Job Description?

Most doctors have never created a description of their Ideal Job. We spend our time coping with the areas in our current position that are painful and anything other than “ideal.” Grab a pen and some paper. Imagine you have a Magic Wand in your hand ... you wave it and ... POOF, there’s your Dream Job in all of its glory.

Write down all the characteristics of your Ideal Job in as much detail as possible.

Here are some of the questions you will want to answer:

• What do you want to be doing - what kinds of patients and cases?

• In what setting?

• For how many hours a week?

• For what pay and benefits?

• In how big of a group?

• Where – in what area of what country?

• With what group culture and work environment?

• What are the characteristics you want in your boss?

• List all the pertinent positives and negatives.

• BOTH the things you want AND the things you want to make sure are NOT there.

This is a living document. You will add to it and subtract from it over time as you get more and more clear.

===========

Power Tip #1:

Write it down in ink on paper. Keep your Ideal Job Description in a folder with a nice label in a place so you will see it weekly. You will use this description in both your job search and in continuously improving any position you ultimately take.

You are taking something that exists only in your imagination and beginning the process of turning it into reality. The move from thought to physical pen strokes on physical paper is step No. 1. And I know this is “old school.” Try it for yourself.

Power Tip #2:

Write it down, even if you feel it is something that is “impossible.” Write it down anyway. It is a goal to shoot for that will shape your decision in a healthy way. There is no job that is a 100% overlap with your ideal. This does NOT mean you can’t aim in that direction.

Note: There are some specialties where the job market is so tight that you must still work hard to get accepted – radiology comes immediately to mind. This process works best in specialties that are in high demand at this time – especially Family Practice and all other forms of primary care.

Creating your Ideal Job Description and using it to drive your job search is Step No. 1 in getting the position you really want. In a future column, I will give you a set of questions you can ask in your job interview that will give you a clear read on the group’s culture, decision-making style and the quality of your immediate supervisor. With this information in hand, you will dramatically improve the odds that your next job is a permanent happy home for your practice.

===========

Guest contributor Dr. Dike Drummond, is a family physician, executive coach, and creator of the Burnout Prevention MATRIX Free Report with more than 117 different ways physicians and organizations can lower stress and prevent burnout. He provides stress management, burnout prevention, and physician wellness, and engagement coaching and consulting through his website, TheHappyMD.com.

In this article, let me show you the No. 1 mistake the vast majority of physicians make when looking for a position. When you avoid this mistake, you stand a much better chance of landing your ideal job.

Here is the physician job-search mistake in a nutshell: Do not search for a job the same way you applied to Medical School or Residency

If you do, your success in this employed position will rely purely on luck. Here is what I mean.

For most of us, the last experience we had of interviewing for a position was our application to Medical School and/or Residency. In this situation, we were basically doing anything we could to be accepted. We were saying, “Pick me, Pick me” and doing whatever it took to make it into the ranks of the chosen.

That is not what a job search is about. In fact, a healthy job search turns the tables 180 degrees – it is an awareness mind flip.

In your search for a permanent position, you want to make sure this is a place you will fit in – long term. In order to do that well, you must have an Ideal Job Description and be screening job opportunities to see if they fit your Ideal Job.

Now you are screening them ...

I have to repeat this because it is so important: You must know what you are looking for first and ask the questions required to screen them to see if they match your Ideal Job Description.

This process allows you to come home from your interview and make a high quality decision about this particular job offer. It is this simple: With your Ideal Job Description in one hand and the results of your interview in the other hand, you create a Venn diagram and measure the overlap.

Once you are able to make this comparison, you only have one decision to make: How much overlap is enough to say yes to this offer?

When you approach your physician job search in this fashion you are focused on what you want – Your Ideal Job, rather than taking any opportunity where you will be accepted. So ... what is your Ideal Job Description?

Most doctors have never created a description of their Ideal Job. We spend our time coping with the areas in our current position that are painful and anything other than “ideal.” Grab a pen and some paper. Imagine you have a Magic Wand in your hand ... you wave it and ... POOF, there’s your Dream Job in all of its glory.

Write down all the characteristics of your Ideal Job in as much detail as possible.

Here are some of the questions you will want to answer:

• What do you want to be doing - what kinds of patients and cases?

• In what setting?

• For how many hours a week?

• For what pay and benefits?

• In how big of a group?

• Where – in what area of what country?

• With what group culture and work environment?

• What are the characteristics you want in your boss?

• List all the pertinent positives and negatives.

• BOTH the things you want AND the things you want to make sure are NOT there.

This is a living document. You will add to it and subtract from it over time as you get more and more clear.

===========

Power Tip #1:

Write it down in ink on paper. Keep your Ideal Job Description in a folder with a nice label in a place so you will see it weekly. You will use this description in both your job search and in continuously improving any position you ultimately take.

You are taking something that exists only in your imagination and beginning the process of turning it into reality. The move from thought to physical pen strokes on physical paper is step No. 1. And I know this is “old school.” Try it for yourself.

Power Tip #2:

Write it down, even if you feel it is something that is “impossible.” Write it down anyway. It is a goal to shoot for that will shape your decision in a healthy way. There is no job that is a 100% overlap with your ideal. This does NOT mean you can’t aim in that direction.

Note: There are some specialties where the job market is so tight that you must still work hard to get accepted – radiology comes immediately to mind. This process works best in specialties that are in high demand at this time – especially Family Practice and all other forms of primary care.

Creating your Ideal Job Description and using it to drive your job search is Step No. 1 in getting the position you really want. In a future column, I will give you a set of questions you can ask in your job interview that will give you a clear read on the group’s culture, decision-making style and the quality of your immediate supervisor. With this information in hand, you will dramatically improve the odds that your next job is a permanent happy home for your practice.

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Guest contributor Dr. Dike Drummond, is a family physician, executive coach, and creator of the Burnout Prevention MATRIX Free Report with more than 117 different ways physicians and organizations can lower stress and prevent burnout. He provides stress management, burnout prevention, and physician wellness, and engagement coaching and consulting through his website, TheHappyMD.com.