There are a lot of considerations when it comes to entering into employment versus private practice, and it can be challenging for new physicians—or physicians seeking a change—to navigate.
Contracts often are difficult to understand, making it hard to decipher whether key issues are fully covered or addressed in a way you’re willing to accept. If the process is convoluted, you might not be able to tell how much you’ll be compensated, or whether such major expenses as liability insurance will be included.
If you’re a physician who is interested in employment, the AMA offers resources to help you make wise decisions about your professional future:
- Get insight into negotiation tips, common contract terms, explanations of business and legal consequences, and sample contract provisions using the “Annotated model physician-group practice employment agreement” e-Book.
- Preparing to negotiate an employment contract with a hospital? Our “Annotated model physician-hospital employment agreement” e-Book helps you through the ins and outs.
- You’ll find a framework to guide you in collaborating with your employer on providing safe, high-quality and cost-effective patient care in the AMA “Principles for Physician Employment”
- Check out the information on our physician employment resources Web page, designed to help meet the unique needs of a growing population of employed physicians.
These resources can help you make sure your interests are fully considered before you enter an employment agreement and navigate the complexities of working as a physician employee.
By helping physicians successfully navigate these difficult decisions, our goal is to establish sustainable medical practices that result in optimal health outcomes for patients and greater professional satisfaction for physicians.
As part of our Professional Satisfaction and Practice Sustainability initiative, the AMA is developing tools to help you make informed decisions about your practice environment and enhance the practice of medicine wherever you work. I look forward to sharing more information about that in the coming months.
