Physician Assistant Jobs - Getting a Physician Assistant Job - Interview Help

Physician Assistant Jobs - Getting a Physician Assistant Job - Interview Help

Do you know what you want? Be clear about what you want in terms of practice, location, and money. Practice issues include the setting (single- or multispecialty group, hospital staff, or HMO), the type of doctoring you want to do, the kinds of colleagues you hope to work with, the patient load you're comfortable with, the payer mix, and call and administrative duties. But they also comprise the organization's style, philosophy, and financial viability, both short- and long term.

Location issues include climate, geography, cultural and recreational opportunities, religious and educational facilities, character of the population, community size, and safety.

Among the money issues are not just how much you want to receive in salary, benefits, and incentives, but also how much the compensation package is worth in that geographic area. A salary of $120,000, for instance, goes a lot further in Minot, N.D., than in Marin County, Calif.

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Prepare your questions. The interviewing process can be demanding, and exhausting. It's easy to lose your train of thought and forget key questions. Many physicians believe that bringing a list into the interview will convey insecurity. It won't. Interviewers will generally view your written questions as a sign that you took the trouble to prepare and that your interest in the job is sincere.

Among the questions to ask:

What type of person are you looking for? Are doctors here expected to socialize for business purposes outside of work? For example, a practice might require you to put in 12-hour days and then attend administrative meetings held informally on Saturdays at the golf course.

What's the evidence that the area needs another doctor with my particular talents and skills?

What's your practice philosophy? What will you do-or refuse to do-for patients. An OBG, for instance, may want to know whether his colleagues perform abortions and sterilizations or use epidural anesthesia.

How does the practice assign patients?

What percentage of my patients will be managed care. Medicaid? Medicare?

What's the typical age, education, and socio-economic level of the patients I'll see?

How many hours per week will I be expected to spend seeing patients in the office and in the hospital? Will I have to go to satellite locations?

How many patients will I be expected to see in a week?

How much call will I have?

Will the organization help my spouse find employment?

Also ask subjective questions: "What do you like best about working here?" "What bothers you most about the job?" "What do you do for fun?" Don't be afraid to pose the same questions to a succession of interviewers. You may be amazed at the variety of answers. The diversity can give you a well-rounded look at the opportunity.

Talk money last. You have to ask hard questions about the dollars at stake, but resist the urge to bring up the subject in the first half of the interview.

Questions to consider asking if the interviewer doesn't bring it up first.

What's the starting salary?

What's the signing bonus, if any?

Is there a productivity bonus. How is it figured?

Is there an income guarantee?

What can I expect to make in, say, five years?

What's the income-distribution formula?

What costs will I be expected to assume. For instance, some employers won't pay individual malpractice insurance premiums. Some will, but won't cover the "tail" if the doctor leaves.

What restrictive covenants will I be subject to?

How soon will I be considered for partnership. What formula determines the buy-in price?

Give positive feedback. If forced to choose between two equally qualified candidates, an organization will virtually always make its offer to the one who shows the most interest in the position and who seems most likely to accept it. So a simple way to gain a competitive edge is to make your positive feelings known.

Be specific in your compliments: "Your office setup is very welcoming to patients." And if you really want the job, say so in no uncertain terms: "This seems like a wonderful place to practice. I know I'd be happy here."

This article was published by Cejka Search and originally appeared in Medical Economics Magazine. Copyright by Medical Economics Company Inc. at Montvale, NJ 07645. All rights reserved.

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