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Career Planning

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Finding the Right Practice

Know Your Practice Options

Before starting your career search, it helps to know about the multiple types of practices available.  

Each has unique aspects which may or may not be attractive to you as you consider your future career. 

As you review the different types, carefully assess your professional goals, practice preferences, and personal needs to choose a practice type that aligns with your priorities.

As you begin your neonatology job search, be sure to learn about learn about private practice as an option for you.

Before starting your career search, it helps to know about the multiple types of practices available.  

Each has unique aspects which may or may not be attractive to you as you consider your future career. 

As you review the different types, carefully assess your professional goals, practice preferences, and personal needs to choose a practice type that aligns with your priorities.

As you begin your neonatology job search, be sure to learn about learn about private practice as an option for you.

What are the types of practices to consider?

Many fellows have familiarity with two common practice types – academic and private.  But there is actually much nuance to these two broad categories, and many others to consider.  

There are actually 5 main category types, but keep in mind that there are multiple variations that exist for each.   

Here is a brief description of each with links to more details:

Physicians are employed and practice in academic medical centers and engage in a variety of scholarly activities, such as research and teaching.  There can be varying levels of clinical workload with both clinical and research tracks available.  

Academic Program

Physicians are employed and practice in academic medical centers and engage in a variety of scholarly activities, such as research and teaching.  

There can be varying levels of clinical workload with both clinical and research tracks available.  

Fellows are clearly most familiar with this practice type from their years of training.  

As you start to determine whether or not this is the right career path for yourself, access an in-depth overview of this practice type here.

As you start your post-fellowship career planning, it is helpful to understand the various practice options, including hospital-employment.

Hospital Employment

Physicians have an employment agreement and contract with the hospital.  The hospital typically manages many of the administrative aspects of the practice such as billing, insurance contracting, and human resources.  

Hospital employment opportunities are usually in abundance for neonatologists considering non-academic career paths and many offer teaching and research opportunities.  

Learn more about hospital employment positions here.

As you start your post-fellowship career planning, it is helpful to understand the various practice options, including private practice.

Private Practice

Physicians practice independently in a solo or group practice without employment affiliations and maintain complete autonomy over all aspects of the practice and business.

You can learn more about the different private practice models here.

Physicians are employed by the HMO and serve as contractors to provide medical services to beneficiaries.

HMO Position

Physicians are employed by a Health Maintenance Organization and serve as contractors to provide medical services to beneficiaries.  

HMO positions are more prevalent on the east and west coasts, so if you are considering opportunities in these areas, it might be helpful to lean more about them here.

As you begin your neonatology job search, locum tenens may be a consideration you should learn more about during your search.

Locums Tenens

Physicians practice on a temporary basis with assignments varying from days or weeks to several months with the positions often obtained through a placement agency.  Locum tenens offers a very unique and sometimes lucrative work model for physicians.  

While it might not be a good option for everyone right out of training, you can learn about the various aspects involved in short-term contract work and decide for yourself here

Additional Resources

A locum tenens company focused exclusively on neonatal and well newborn staffing.

Gives a very simple quiz to see which is a better fit for you. 

A quick read comparing these two practice types.

Reviewing these trends can give valuable perspective during your search. 

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Disclaimer:  All content above is solely the work product of the authors.  Neonatology Solutions, LLC, makes no endorsement or statement of safety, efficacy, or appropriateness of any of the protocols, pathways, guidelines, or algorithms contained within.  They should be thoroughly reviewed against any available evidence prior to adoption.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed or relied upon as a standard of care.  Any questions or concerns should be directed to the authors and/or the listed contact person.  Good clinical judgement should always prevail when applying any standardized approach.  We recommend that institutions review these protocols, pathways, guidelines, and algorithms and accept, modify, or reject them based on their own institutional resources and patient populations.  Neonatology Solutions, LLC, assumes no liability for any outcomes arising from use of these tools.