Flexible Careers for Pediatricians

1. Flexible Careers for Pediatricians Finding the job that’s right for you Updated by the AAP Division of Graduate Medical Education and Pediatric Workforce in spring 2006

2. Introduction This presentation is designed to provide you with important insights for finding a job as a pediatrician that works for you. We see this as a starting point for thinking about what types of work options will offer you the most rewards while accommodating your individual needs.

3. Topic covered include these key pieces for planning your career • Types of practice arrangements available • Special considerations: your needs and family needs • Questions to consider • Identifying what you can & cannot live without • The importance of organization

4. Family needs what you can’t live without what you can live without Your needs Practice arrangements Questions to consider Organize your search Creating the job that is right for you Key Pieces:

5. Types of practice arrangements Before addressing the key pieces that shape a job selection process, let’s review some of the basics including: • Practice arrangements that are generally available • Considerations that may influence your decisions • What you need to learn about the practice(s) you are interested in pursuing

6. Full-time practice FTE (40 hours +) offers multiple options: • Solo vs. group • Rural vs. urban • Private, HMO, academic

7. Pediatricians by primary employment setting (excluding residents) Source: AAP Division of Health Services Research, Periodic Survey of Fellows #61 thru #64, 2005

8. Hours: Average Per Week in Patient Care Activity(office-based pediatricians only) Operating/ Delivery room Office Patient Care Emergency Room Hospital Rounds Other Consulting With patients & others Record Keeping Male Female Source: American Academy of Pediatrics Division of Health Policy Research Periodic Survey of Fellow #43, 2000

9. Full-Time Practice Pediatricians will find that there are a growing number of full-time practice arrangements. Some of the common full-time practice options include: • Flextime • Telecommuting • Compressed workweek

10. Full-time Options--Flextime Flextime provides a flexible starting and/or ending time for the work day. Advantages include: • Preserves visibility on the job • Access by “your” patients • Can arrange hours around your family or personal activities • Practice can offer extended hours for others

11. Full-time Options--Telecommuting Telecommuting is working at home during part of your scheduled hours of work. • Does not work for patient care • Can be an option for administrative/support services • May work for some aspects of academic medicine

12. Full-time Options—Compressed work week Compressed work week involves shortening the number of days worked. Advantages: • Full day off • May mean you can commute outside of rush hours • Time for other activities that take place during normal work hours (running errands, scheduling repairs to home, take part in school activities) Disadvantages: • Must have stamina for longer work days • Often day off cannot be a Monday or Friday • Can cause resentment if you do have Monday or Friday off because you always have a 3-day weekend and those days are often the most busy in terms of patient care

13. Part-time Practice Arrangements Survey data from the AAP indicates that a growing number of residents are interested in part-time or reduced hour practice options. These options include: • Shortened work day • Shortened work week • Job sharing • Locums

14. Employment Status: Pediatricians (self-designated) Percentage of Pediatricians Full-time Part-time Male Female Source: AAP Division of Health Policy Research, Periodic Survey of Fellows, #54, 2003 P<.001 for M v F

15. Part-time Practice Arrangements In 2003, 17% of pediatricians worked part-time, averaging 32 hours/week • Shortened work day– 5-7 hours/day • Shortened work week – usually 4 days/week • Less than 4 days/week (can be problematic for patients)

16. Part-time: Job sharing Job sharing arrangements usually involve 2 persons sharing one full-time position. May work best if: • Cooperative, give and take approach • Similar/complimentary skills • Similar work habits– on time, details, organized • Flexible to trade time around How to find someone to job share: • Look at current workplace for someone with similar needs • Talk with placement offices and recruiters • Place an ad in a professional newsletter, magazine, journal • Network

17. Part-time: Locum Tenens Locum Tenens comes from the Latin word meaning “to hold the place of.” Locum physicians fill temporary positions. Advantages: • Can help you find out what the perfect job for you may because you can work in a variety of settings for a short period of time • Can decide to pick a region or group where you want to work • Perfect for someone who is comfortable with not having their “own” patient groups.

18. Special Considerations:Things to think about when deciding what type of job will work for you For women pediatricians the most common concerns include: • Breastfeeding issues • Compensation (what to expect) • Negotiation skills • Time management (How will I manage both my professional and personal roles?)

19. Special Considerations: Breastfeeding For pediatricians who desire to work and breastfeed consider the following: • Part-time work or job sharing may mean a shorter work day and less need for breast pumping while at work • Talk with other women who have worked and breastfeed their child(ren) • Compressed work week may be less desirable as more hours worked may equal a minimum of two breast pumping times • Telecommuting for part of your work week may be ideal if parts of your workload are suited for off-sight work • If no option is available other than a long work day consider nighttime, prior to work feedings, breasts will adjust. Do this 1-2 weeks prior to your return to work. following work arrangements may be helpful

20. Special Considerations:Compensation What to consider: • Find out about average compensation in your area • Contract negotiations should be reviewed by an attorney • Review termination clauses • Insurance • Restrictive covenants • Expected services to perform • Review sample contracts (available on Web site such as www.ama-assn.org/go/yps or conduct a Web site search for sample contracts)

21. Special Considerations:Time Management It is important to schedule in time for yourself. You need time to recharge too. • Communicate with family members & significant others regarding changes in your work schedule • Make time to spend with family & friends • Highly recommend vacation times • Schedule time to do the things you love like reading, hobbies and involvement in organized medicine

22. Finding a Job that’s Right for You There is a host of basic and not so basic information that can help you make an informed decision. Some things to consider: • Weigh your options and identify what you can/cannot live without • How far are you willing to move? • Salary range • Benefits • Working weekends • Moving expenses • Signing bonus • Call schedule/triage call center • Office location • Buy into the practice

23. Geographic location Family/partner considerations: Employment Education opportunities Cultural Entertainment Opportunity for research/teaching Time- call amount, time off Compatibility with partners/practice style Compensation Determine what you want in a position:

24. Where do you see yourself in the future? • What do you see yourself doing 1 year, 5 years, 10 years from now? • What is your financial plan? • Calculate the actual decrease in money if you are thinking about reducing your work hours • Some items may actually be lower if working less hours– child care, meals out, commuting costs • How supportive is your partner, family members and others impacted by your job choice? • Think about possible extra stress and/or less stress on those important to you. • How will this impact your work relationships?

25. Organizing Your Search • Keep a record of each possible opportunity you come across • Examine the pros and cons of working with a recruiter • Network- most jobs are found through friends and colleagues • Keep an up-to-date cover letter and CV • Research organizations, job possibilities and locations on the Web • Find out what types of career related resources your state and local medical society offers

26. Conclusion:Flexible Careers for Pediatricians This presentation was adapted from a presentation originally given by Debra R. Sowell, MD, FAAP. A handout listing additional questions and things to consider when searching for the job that is right for you is available on the AAP Women In Pediatrics Web site at http://www.aap.org/womenpeds/. This Web site also list books, articles and other electronic sources that may assist you.