PracticeMatch Blog – For In-House Physician Recruiters

Must-Ask Questions for Physician Candidate Screening

February 24, 2011 at 8:00 am lrimmert Leave a comment

If there’s anything as important to a hospital as recruiting quality physicians, it’s retaining them. The best time to start thinking about retention is in the beginning—by putting in place an extensive screening process prior to bringing a physician in to interview.

The purpose of the screening process is to determine the candidate’s personal and professional needs and make sure the candidate is a perfect fit for the position, the community, and the organization’s culture.

Below are some important qualifying questions to ask physicians to determine if they are a good match for your organization.

Must-Ask Questions for Physician Candidate Screening

• What are your geographic preferences and why?*
• What geographic areas do you have ties to?*
• What is your ideal position?*
• What are your hobbies?*
• What does your spouse enjoy doing?*
• Where is your spouse from?*
• What does your spouse do for a living?*
• Do you have any children?* Age(s)* and interests?
• Do you have any visa issues?
• Have you had any malpractice or license cases we should know about?*
• What state licenses do you currently hold?*
• Where else have you interviewed?*
• Do you have any offers on the table?*
• What is your time frame in choosing a practice?
• What are your salary expectations?*
• Where do you see yourself in 2 years?
• Why are you considering a change? (If a practicing physician)*
• Are you okay with a commute? (If there is a considerable distance between the practice and home)

*These questions are asked of physicians by PracticeMatch’s physician interviewers, saving you time during your sourcing and screening processes.

When asking physicians questions about their skills and preferences, it’s critical to pay attention to their answers. Some answers obtained during the screening process can be red flags, which can sometimes mean that passing on the candidate is what’s best for your organization and for the physician. Now, that’s not to say that a “red flag” answer should always discount the candidate; that should be determined by the sourcing expert and the physician through open dialogue.

Red Flag Answers from Physicians Include:

• A physician interested in doing a fellowship, if this is a primary care opportunity.
• A physician holding a chair position, wanting a staff position
• Frequent job changes
• Gaps in job history
• No knowledge of the area where they are expressing interest
• Longer than normal time to complete residency

With CEOs and department managers pushing you to find doctors, it’s easy to rush the screening process or ignore certain “red flags.” But what’s best in the long run—for all parties involved—is to spend time talking with the physician and learning about his or her skills and preferences.

A conversation that includes the questions above will keep you from finding out about “red flag” issues when it’s too late. A good screening process will ensure that the physicians you bring on board are good matches for your organization.

Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: Physician interviews, Physician profiles, Red flag, Screening physicians.