Advice for young, job-seeking physicians on assessing practice culture

Workplace culture can be a vital aspect of physician satisfaction. It only makes sense, then, that job seekers, especially those weighing options early in their careers, would want to know as much as possible about the practical environment in order to make an informed decision.

AMA STEPS forward^® toolkit, “What to Look for in Your First or Next Practice: Assess the Practice Environment to Fit Your Priorities,” offers young physicians a comprehensive breakdown of available practice settings and how they differ.

The toolkit includes insight into ways a physician candidate can assess culture. Having recently made the transition from resident to visiting, AMA member Scott H. Pasichow, MD, MPH, also offered some thoughts in a separate interview about how he was able to find the right cultural fit in his post-residency job search. Here are some key tips.

Dr. Pasihov values ​​camaraderie and said that for him, the way the staff interacts when they’re not facing the patient can be an indicator of how much there is.

“When you do your rounds in the clinical environment, how do the nurses treat the doctors?” he said. “How do doctors treat nurses? How did doctors treat each other? Obviously, it is important when you are in front of patients that communication is more formal. And that’s a value that I think a lot of doctors have, maintaining the moniker “last name doctor.”

“But there’s real value,” he added, “when you’re on a first-name basis with your colleagues, whether they’re fellow physicians or other members of the health care team.”

Learn with the AMA about four technical questions young doctors should ask before joining a practice.

Work-life balance is always a struggle for doctors. Understanding the practice or the healthcare organization’s commitment to it is key. One way to do this is to learn not only about personal leave and parental leave rules, but also to see how much time people actually use. This will help you understand what the expectations are when planning a family and can reveal their commitment to your work-life balance.

“There are jobs I’ve applied for where they’ve told me, ‘You can pick a few times to book a vacation, but wait until we send you the schedule to buy the plane tickets,'” Dr Pasihov said. “There are other jobs that say, Don’t worry about it. If you want a break, you’ll get it. This flexibility also translates into family leave and emergency coverage.”

There are two key aspects of leadership in a practice or healthcare organization. How much interaction do physicians have with leaders and what roles are physicians expected to play in the leadership hierarchy?

In his interviews, Dr. Pasihov asked what roles emergency physicians have on hospital boards. He says it’s better if more doctors are involved.

“If one person wears a lot of different hats for the department, it can sometimes be a challenge because it’s really up to that individual to make connections,” he said. “Whereas when that responsibility is spread across a number of different people, it shows that leadership is invested in the success of the department.”

Physician employee, partner or owner? Discover three pathways for young doctors.

You may misread cultural fit in a practice. Dr. Pasihov said if that’s the case, you shouldn’t be afraid to explore other options.

“You might think it’s really good for you,” he said. “After you’ve been there a few months, you realize it’s not working. Don’t be afraid to change it early in your career. It’s best to be comfortable where you are so you can stay somewhere for 10 or 15 years or even your entire career.”

Learn more about the AMA’s Young Physicians Section, which gives voice to and advocates for issues that affect physicians under the age of 40 or in their first eight years of professional practice after their training as residents and fellows.