Aug 11, 2015 | Ravi Hira, MD
Career Development

Over the next several months, we hope to provide information and insight to you in your search for a cardiovascular position. We decided to pass on words of wisdom that we received from faculty with years of experience. We will also include lessons learned from our personal experiences and those of our peers. Further, we are fortunate to have Marat Yanavitski contribute articles on innovative career options in cardiovascular medicine.

Our first task is to help identify different career paths available to graduating FITs. Many are familiar with the broad categories of private practice versus academics. However, these definitions are no longer black and white with gray being the “color of the season”. Multiple models now exist where university employed physicians are running their own practices with no research or teaching requirements. Counter to this, some private practices are the sole educators of fellowship programs and high recruiters and contributors to randomized controlled trials. The predominant driver of these models and the daily tasks you perform out in the real world, is money. It is what ultimately pays the bills and your salary. Participation in non-paying endeavors is, therefore, voluntary and for self-satisfaction. It is important to clearly understand the role you will be playing and where your income is being generated.

Given the timing of this article at the beginning of the academic year, the first suggestion we would like to put forth to those graduating and looking for jobs in the near future is "to think about what you want". This may sound like a philosophical suggestion, and that's because it is one. No two people and no two jobs are the same.

Another key consideration should be location – urban versus rural, proximity to family, cost of living, ease of travel and available activities are contributing factors. Practice models also vary widely. For example, you may be the only cardiologist in a practice that is expected to go to a rural satellite clinic and set up a referral base (the hub and spoke model), or you may join a practice of 40 cardiologists serving a large metropolitan area with local competition and find yourself stretched between 5 different hospitals. Each scenario comes with its pros and cons, its challenges and opportunities. The only way to find a good job is to know what you want and find a good fit for yourself. Taking the time to think about this and hone in on your deal breakers will save you much time and energy down the line.

This is also an ideal time to identify advisors and contacts, which may help with counseling and reaching out to their colleagues for job opportunities. Besides faculty, this includes representatives from pharmaceutical and device companies that have a wide network across the country and are an invaluable resource in the job hunt.

Over the next few months we will highlight available resources for the job search, options for additional skill development and innovative career options that are off the beaten path. We hope that this column provides an additional resource to you. Please feel free to send us any questions or suggestions you may have.

This post is part of a series focused on career development for fellows in training (FITs), authored by Ravi Hira, MD (Assistant Professor, Division of Cardiology, University of Washington, Seattle) and Payal Kohli, MD, (Attending Cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente, Denver, CO).