New doctors are in great demand. Depending on your specialty, this demand gives you the opportunity to assess a variety of practice options to ensure a good fit with your desired working style (and desired lifestyle too).
1.1 Determining Your Ideal Job
Weigh the pros and cons of various employment options to determine your personal best fit. Here is a shortened snippet of the pros and cons for solo practice. In the full version of our free eBook, we get into greater detail as well as cover pros and cons of hospital-based,clinic-based, team and locum positions.
| Solo Practice Pros | Solo Practice Cons |
|---|---|
| Autonomy | Costs |
| Dedicated Staff | Coverage |
| Deeper Relationships | More Admin Work |
1.2 Physician Payment Models in Canada
Take an in-depth look at the three most common physician payment models in Canada:
Fee-For-Service
By far the most common payment method, physicians on fee-for-service models are self-employed professionals who provide “bills” (submit claims) for services provided. See the components of a typical FFS claim and learn more about premiums and billing for uninsured services in the full eBook.
Salary
In general, only a small number of physicians receive a fixed salary, complete with paid vacation and a benefits package. Such salaried positions are rare and most common for physicians in academic settings.
Alternative Payment Plans
Increasingly popular, APPs are most common for family physicians, in educational settings and sometimes in rural areas where there’s not enough patient inflow to generate an appropriate income through fee-for-service alone.
1.3 Where to find jobs
Get our curated list of links to some of the best sites for job searching across Canada and within Ontario, BC and Alberta.
Here’s a sampling of some popular national recruitment sites:
1.4 Interviewing and Negotiating
Don’t interview before reading our top 10 list of common physician interview questions—followed by the 10 questions you should ask your interviewer! Wondering how much room there is for negotiation in a job offer? We’ll cover which points of your contract are most likely negotiable (and when some points may not be).
Don't Forget: You may be able to negotiate multiple points, including remuneration, service and financial responsibilities, and various benefits.
Download the New Physicians eBook
Our Complete Guide for New Physicians will help you navigate your first year after residency so you can make a successful and enjoyable transition to practising physician.
