Transcript Getting a job as an - Harvard Plastic Surgery Combined Residency

Getting a job as an (academic)
plastic surgeon
Ivan Hadad, M.D.
Disclosures / Background
• Faculty at Indiana University
– August 1, 2013
• General surgery training at the same institution
Timeline
• Penultimate Year:
– Figure out who you are (and want to be…)
– Decide where you will focus your efforts
– By AAPS (April), have your CV and cover letter done
– Try to meet people at AAPS
Timeline
• Chief (or fellowship) year:
– August and September:
• Send out letters and applications
• Set up ASPS interviews
– ASPS (October): First stage interviews
– November: Thank you letters and follow ups
– Winter: Invited interviews at institutions
– Feb/March/April: Weigh job offer(s) and decide
– Spring: Accept an offer / negotiations
– Paperwork (a 3-4 month process)!
• Get to work! (August?)
Location, Location, Location
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Narrow focus, narrowed opportunities
Less jobs on the coasts
Less jobs in big cities
More jobs in smaller cities
More jobs in the midwest
• But if you need to be somewhere, go there…
Fellowship or job?
• Only do a fellowship that you want to do!
• Don’t do a fellowship to compete for a job you
don’t want
• Recognize that a fellowship may paint you as
more specialized than you want to be…
• Microsurgery fellowships are the new
commodity for academic plastic surgery
• Private practices are much more flexible
Fellowship or job?
• Only do a fellowship that you want to do!
• Don’t do a fellowship to compete for a job you
don’t want
• Recognize that a fellowship may paint you as
more specialized than you want to be…
• Microsurgery fellowships are the new
commodity for academic plastic surgery
• Private practices are much more flexible
• NO ONE CARES YOU WENT TO HARVARD!
Curriculum Vitae
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Make it clear and well organized
Sections should be in chronologic order
Probably don’t mention anything pre-college
Don’t lie!
• Have it looked over.
Curriculum Vitae
• Sections:
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Education
Post Doctoral Training (residency & fellowship)
Honors and Distinctions
Research Experience
Research Grants
Publications
Presented Abstracts
Organizations
Volunteer History
Board Certification(s)
Medical Licensure
Personal information
• Country of Origin, Citizenship, Date of Birth, Birthplace, Languages
Spoken
Cover Letters
•Addressed to Program’s chief
•Make a stock version
•Have a few people review it!
•Tailor to the program
•1st paragraph:
•Who you are
•Where you trained
•When you want to start
•2nd paragraph:
•Sell yourself
•Note areas of strength and
interests
•State your career goals
•Mention research if relevant to
career goals
Cover Letters
•3rd paragraph:
•Sell why you are interested in
that program
•Clinicals strengths
•Previous encounters
•Location
•4th paragraph:
•State that you are including
your CV
•Name your references
•5th paragraph:
•Thank you’s
• Willingness to offer more
info
Letters of Recommendation
•You will be asked for these at
some point
•Get 3 letters early
•Plenty of people here to choose
from
•Get them on letterhead
•Get them signed
•Try to get a “To Whom It May
Concern” version as a PDF that
you can send out
Organization
• Have one folder with EVERYTHING
• Dropbox is great
•Always accessible
•Synced
•Sharable
• Scan all documents
•Include:
•CV’s
•Cover letters
•Letters of recommendation
•Spreadsheets / To do lists
•Image of Passport, Diplomas,
Drivers License, Medical Licenses,
any other applications!
Organization
•Spreadsheet
Program
Director / Chief
Email / Phone
U of A
Three O’Mono, MD 211-123-4567
[email protected]
-Emailed (8/1/12)
-Rejected
Super Microsurgery
Clinic - Florida
Adson Brown, MD
-App sent (9/2/12)
- Await response
432-848-2929
[email protected]
Status
Finding advertised listings (websites)
– Most institutions determine their funding for new
employment in September
– Check all your resources q 2 -4 weeks
• www.plasticsurgery.org
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The ASPS website
Registration required
Job Opportunity Board
Post your CV (Useless)
Career tips
Finding advertised listings (websites)
• www.acaplasticsurgeons.org/jobs/
– The American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons
(ACAPS)
– All academic listings
– Focused towards more experienced surgeons
– Fellowship listings
Finding advertised listings (websites)
• www.hercjobs.org
– Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
– Very good listings
Finding advertised listings (websites)
• www.simplyhired.com
– Scours a number of job websites and
periodically emails you results
• www.doccafe.com
– Only physician listings
• www.indeed.com
• www.careermd.com
– Sends tailored email results by region
– Lots of wound care jobs
• Plastic Surgery News
• Michele Barnes & Bernie Lee
Finding advertised listings (websites)
• Note:
– Listings may be sham listings
• Program already has an internal candidate
• Some H.R. protocol states that the job must be
advertised publicly (“equal opportunity”)
Finding unadvertised jobs
• Low yield, but necessary effort
• Focus on your “must-have” job locations or
interests
ACGME Plastic Surgery Residencies
• https://www.acgme.org/ads/Public/Reports/Report/1
– Search by Plastic Surgery
– Gives addresses & phone numbers
– Unfortunately, only lists Program Directors
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So…
Go to the residency’s website
Figure out who’s the chief
Go to www.plasticsurgery.org
Look them up
Get their email & phone numbers
Finding unadvertised jobs
• Create “personalized” cover letters
• Email your CV and cover letter to the Chief or
whoever makes decisions there
• Some people say real mail is better
– I disagree
• Try a “follow up” message, just prior to ASPS, to
ask if they would like to get together
• Be assertive
– Not pushy!
– Not pathetic!
ASPS
• Plastic Surgery: The Meatmarket
• PSA: Senior Residents Conference is mixed
into it now
• Lots of speed dating
• Get as many interviews as possible
scheduled
• Keep it positive
• This a much more adult process
– There is no pimping
– They won’t ask “What’s your greatest
weakness?”
• “I care too much!”
ASPS
• Other tips:
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Know their program before (have questions ready)
Take notes right after
Collect business cards
Wear a suit everyday
Be prepared to drink a lot of coffee!
Don’t ask about call (He’s lazy!)
Don’t ask about salary (He’s greedy!)
Seriously: Don’t ask about call or salary!
Don’t be hungover!
Visiting interviews
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They will pay to fly you out there
Meet the partners
Know who you are
Know what you’d like your practice to look like
Know what you bring that would be unique
Know your 5 year plan
Ask about they will help you grow your practice
Now it’s ok to ask about call responsiblities
It’s ok to ask about “areas for improvement” or “challenges”
You can ask about how to achieve partnership
Still don’t ask: “How much money???”
Job offers
• (Hopefully) you’ll get a call and an offer letter
– Will state your salary
– Various other aspects of your responsibilities and
benefits
– Not an exhaustive document
Contracts
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Everything is negotiable
If you don’t ask, you don’t get
Less flexibility with university jobs
Academia doesn’t necessarily mean lower pay
Don’t get hung up on what the salary is, but
rather what it could be
• Don’t try to “nickle and dime” your future
employer!
• This is a massive topic!
Contracts
• “A contract is only as good as the person who
offered it.”
Summary
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The job hunt is nothing like the Match
Start early
Be organized
Be assertive
Have faculty mentors to coach you along the way
Talk with your fellow job hunters
Hit up your contacts and prior staff!
– YOUR relationships are the key
GOOD LUCK!