By FlexMedStaff
It is not always easy finding new opportunities in medicine, especially if you are looking for something other than the traditional “full-time.”. It is common to find job postings for full-time roles, but what if you are looking for something different? Maybe you are looking for more time off or to work fewer days… Perhaps you are looking for a position that allows you to work around your family’s schedule or your other side hustles. How do you find these opportunities if you only find full-time jobs posted online? How do you circumvent the headhunters, external recruiters, and staffing agencies to find opportunities and speak directly with the facilities that might need your services?
Headhunters and recruitment firms are accustomed to recruiting for full-time positions. They get paid well to find physicians that match a job description posted by a facility. Yet, they are not great at finding jobs for physicians that are outside the norm. Working with external recruiters, you may miss out on great opportunities. External recruiters are focused on their commissions and referral fees. They might be less interested in finding an opportunity that suits your demands and schedule if they won’t get compensated for their services to find you a non-traditional role. If you are looking for a part-time, per-diem, or other non-traditional, it may be best to act as your own recruiter.
The question is this…Do you need a headhunter or an external recruiter? Can you find a better opportunity without them? Of course, it is possible. Finding a new opportunity might take many hours and days, but doing the work yourself can be worth it. Why sit around waiting for someone else to work on your behalf when you can do the work yourself? You can contact medical facilities and speak directly with them about what you are looking for. It is much easier to discuss alternative positions and roles with facilities if you talk to them directly.
This article reviews different ways to find your next opportunity by connecting with facilities directly. Please be aware that this is a basic overview of places to look for your next opportunity. More content on landing your next opportunity is on FlexMedStaff.
Locums companies and Recruitment Firms. Take advantage of all the calls, texts, and emails from staffing agencies and recruitment firms to determine which facility is looking for physicians in your specialty. Without giving away your CV or permission for the agencies to present you, take the initiative to contact the facility directly.
Hospitals. You can contact hospitals locally and far depending on your desire to travel. Get in touch with hospitals you know that always need full-time and locums physicians. It can be advantageous to go after hospitals with a history of arranging non-traditional clinical roles if that is something you are interested in.
Private Practices, Solo-physicians, Urgent Care, and Alternative Medicine Clinics. Don’t forget to search for non-hospital-owned clinical opportunities. Often you will find private practices, urgent cares, and alternative medicine clinics desperately needing coverage.
Google Maps. It seems basic, but don’t forget to use the internet to search Google Maps for facilities. You can easily find hospitals and clinics by setting your search criteria based on location and specialty. You can then contact those facilities.
Prior Place of Employment. If you had a good relationship with a previous employer, you could offer to return to the same or different role. It is easy to go back to your previous employers which whom you had a good relationship as long as they are willing to accommodate your desired schedule.
Colleagues. There is nothing better than having an extensive network of colleagues all over the country that know of facilities looking for physicians in your specialty. Your colleagues can quickly introduce you to administrators at the facility and discuss how your services might be needed.
Former Colleagues, Classmates, Co-residents, and Administrators. Use professional networking and social media platforms to reconnect with those that you once knew well in the medical community. Ask if they know of any openings at their current facilities.
Facebook Groups. Join physician Facebook groups and specialty-focused groups. In those groups, post about your desire to find a new opportunity. You will discover employed practitioners and those in private practice reaching out to you for your services.
LinkedIn. Use LinkedIn to connect with facility administrators. There are many in-house recruiters on LinkedIn. Introduce yourself via a message and ask to discuss with them more about providing services for their facility. You could also post about looking for a new opportunity on your LinkedIn profile.
Newsletters. If you are interested in working in a particular area of the country, reach out to the local medical chapter or society and ask to advertise your services.
Veterans Administration (VA) and Indian Reservations. The VA and Indian reservations are always looking for physicians. They both work with full-time and part-time physicians. Be sure to contact them if you are interested.
Correctional Facilities. Working at a correctional facility is not for everyone, but we couldn’t leave it off this list.
Skilled Facilities and Hospice. Nursing homes and rehab facilities are always looking for physicians that can provide medical management. There are many opportunities to work part-time or full-time for a hospice organization.
Wound Care. Many privately managed companies are looking for physicians to provide wound care services. Some facilities have an in-house staff where you could also offer to assist.
Medical Management Agencies. There are a growing number of companies that provide remote medical management opportunities. This might be to manage chronic conditions like diabetes and provide oversight of medications and mobile applications.
Telemedicine Companies. There are small and large telemedicine companies looking for more physicians to provide acute and long-term management of patient issues.
Final Thoughts:
External recruiters are only sometimes the best at communicating what you desire most at your next job. Depending on their motives and desire to truly assist, you may miss out on great opportunities. Take the initiative to become your own recruiter to find the position you are looking for that matches your desired work schedule.
