Comments on: Primary care shortage and physician recruiters http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:50:13 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician.html/comment-page-1#comment-88930 Anonymous Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:53:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician-recruiters.html#comment-88930 Just because you "pay more" does not necessarily gaurantee you will find a physician. I work with a Family Practice group where the physicians earn well over $240k a year, low call time at 1:7, outpatient only ... and this is in wine country, coastal western U.S.! And it's STILL a tough fill! Honestly, I am just baffled as to why I don't have physicians knocking down my door; this is TRULY an excellent job. Just because you “pay more” does not necessarily gaurantee you will find a physician. I work with a Family Practice group where the physicians earn well over $240k a year, low call time at 1:7, outpatient only … and this is in wine country, coastal western U.S.! And it’s STILL a tough fill! Honestly, I am just baffled as to why I don’t have physicians knocking down my door; this is TRULY an excellent job.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician.html/comment-page-1#comment-88094 Anonymous Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician-recruiters.html#comment-88094 As a graduating primary care resident, I get about 10 job offers a day from the "caring" recruiters. Just like 203 said, the initial info is mainly BS. Often talking about "great schools", "shopping malls", "hike in the great mountains".. whatever and vague nonsense like "great opportunity".<br/><br/> If I get curious I always reply asking for: call-schedule, # of patients/day, 1, 2 or 3 years of income guarantee and at what level and things like sign-on bonus and/or loan repayment.<br/><br/> At the end, I doubt very much I will go through them to begin with. I didn't slave for all these years to let some "recruiter" get fat on it. As a graduating primary care resident, I get about 10 job offers a day from the “caring” recruiters. Just like 203 said, the initial info is mainly BS. Often talking about “great schools”, “shopping malls”, “hike in the great mountains”.. whatever and vague nonsense like “great opportunity”.

If I get curious I always reply asking for: call-schedule, # of patients/day, 1, 2 or 3 years of income guarantee and at what level and things like sign-on bonus and/or loan repayment.

At the end, I doubt very much I will go through them to begin with. I didn’t slave for all these years to let some “recruiter” get fat on it.

]]> By: Dr. Know http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician.html/comment-page-1#comment-87573 Dr. Know Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:03:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician-recruiters.html#comment-87573 Ditto to all of the above. I actually got a recruitment letter that said "cover 4 hospitals, busy practice...blah blah blah, $150K." Are you kidding? Cover 4 hospitals and work grueling long hours for $150K. No wonder you have openings. Primary care (I.M. or F.P.) is a specialty. The lack of respect and paltry income has delivered exactly what we have. A true crisis and no one is interested! Ditto to all of the above. I actually got a recruitment letter that said “cover 4 hospitals, busy practice…blah blah blah, $150K.” Are you kidding? Cover 4 hospitals and work grueling long hours for $150K. No wonder you have openings. Primary care (I.M. or F.P.) is a specialty. The lack of respect and paltry income has delivered exactly what we have. A true crisis and no one is interested!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician.html/comment-page-1#comment-87544 Anonymous Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:03:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician-recruiters.html#comment-87544 Recruiter can't do much about salary?<br/><br/>Well, yes you can. You say, "the chance of your recruiting a physician of any quality at that salary range will be about zero"<br/><br/>If more aggressive "Don't waste my time recruiting for a position that pays that badly". Recruiter can’t do much about salary?

Well, yes you can. You say, “the chance of your recruiting a physician of any quality at that salary range will be about zero”

If more aggressive “Don’t waste my time recruiting for a position that pays that badly”.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician.html/comment-page-1#comment-87543 Anonymous Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:01:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician-recruiters.html#comment-87543 "What advice could you provide to a Primary Care Recruiter that is trying to fill over 120 jobs?"<br/><br/>Uhhhhhh........pay them.<br/><br/>Negotiate out noncompetes. <br/><br/>How's that for a start. “What advice could you provide to a Primary Care Recruiter that is trying to fill over 120 jobs?”

Uhhhhhh……..pay them.

Negotiate out noncompetes.

How’s that for a start.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician.html/comment-page-1#comment-87542 Anonymous Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:26:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician-recruiters.html#comment-87542 Obviously if companies & practices can pay big bucks to middle men to recruit primary care doctors, then they are paying those doctors too little.<br/><br/>I think the current starting salaries for a full-time internist in the NYC area is around $140-$150k. I'd imagine the recruiter makes almost as much as this. <br/><br/>But regardless of starting salary, the bottom line is that the outpatient practice of internal medicine is a MISERABLE job, with so many forces working against you. This, in addition to reimbursent issues of course, is why new "specialties" like wound care, palliative care, and hospitalists came to be.<br/><br/>I think, realistically, for someone to be attracted to a job as an outpatient internist, salaries would have to be almost DOUBLE what they are these days. Young doctors graduating residency see others their age in other fields making six-figure incomes in many, many areas. Working as a slave to patients, families, insurers, and condescending do-nothing specialists, just doesn't cut it for $140k.<br/><br/>Since it's impossible to garner any sympathy for what doctors are forced to deal with, the answer is simple, and is why med students are overwhelmingly opting against primary care internal medicine. Obviously if companies & practices can pay big bucks to middle men to recruit primary care doctors, then they are paying those doctors too little.

I think the current starting salaries for a full-time internist in the NYC area is around $140-$150k. I'd imagine the recruiter makes almost as much as this.

But regardless of starting salary, the bottom line is that the outpatient practice of internal medicine is a MISERABLE job, with so many forces working against you. This, in addition to reimbursent issues of course, is why new "specialties" like wound care, palliative care, and hospitalists came to be.

I think, realistically, for someone to be attracted to a job as an outpatient internist, salaries would have to be almost DOUBLE what they are these days. Young doctors graduating residency see others their age in other fields making six-figure incomes in many, many areas. Working as a slave to patients, families, insurers, and condescending do-nothing specialists, just doesn't cut it for $140k.

Since it's impossible to garner any sympathy for what doctors are forced to deal with, the answer is simple, and is why med students are overwhelmingly opting against primary care internal medicine.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician.html/comment-page-1#comment-87535 Anonymous Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:14:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/10/primary-care-shortage-and-physician-recruiters.html#comment-87535 The solution is painfully obvious. Pay primary care physicians more. It's that simple. If primary care compensation were competitive with medical residents' other career options, the problem would be solved (a la the UK).<br/><br/>That said, I doubt there's much you can do as a recruiter to fix primary care physician compensation. Your best bet might be a few well-written letters to Congress after the election. Throw out the bums at CMS who are too lazy to do their job (and therefore rely on the RUC), force a primary care pay increase, and your life will be significantly easier. The solution is painfully obvious. Pay primary care physicians more. It’s that simple. If primary care compensation were competitive with medical residents’ other career options, the problem would be solved (a la the UK).

That said, I doubt there’s much you can do as a recruiter to fix primary care physician compensation. Your best bet might be a few well-written letters to Congress after the election. Throw out the bums at CMS who are too lazy to do their job (and therefore rely on the RUC), force a primary care pay increase, and your life will be significantly easier.

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