With staffing shortages and burnout still high in healthcare, new physicians looking for work may be overwhelmed by offers and solicitations.
Here are five insights on physician employment contracts, attorney Elizabeth Snelson shared in a July 16 article on the American Medical Association's website:
1. Hire a lawyer who specializes in physician employment. Average employment lawyers don’t necessarily know the ins and outs of physician employment contracts.
“Hospital employment is a very different animal because hospitals can have doctors do things differently,” she said in the post.
2. Be wary of “physician duties” and other less glamorous parts of a contract. Compensation and benefits can often seem like the most important part of an employment contract, but Ms. Snelson warns that physicians should be fully aware of what may be expected of them in return.
3. Pay attention to termination or resignation clauses. Considering the end of a job may not be first nature when signing a new contract, but it’s important to know what leaving that position could eventually entail.
4. Protect your professional judgment. Because hiring managers are often administrators –– not physicians –– it can be difficult for physicians to ensure their ability to advocate for patients.
“Administrators are wonderful –– they keep the doors open. But they shouldn’t be allowed to tell doctors how to treat their patients,” Ms. Snelson said.
5. Pay careful attention to medical staff bylaws. According to Ms. Snelson, all contracts should include a document that entails the medical staff bylaws. Because employed physician contracts can differ from those of independent physicians or surgeons, it’s important for newly employed physicians to understand their protections