As demand for healthcare services increases everywhere, organizations that serve the underserved are experiencing exponential growth. For a Federally Qualified Health Center group in northern Indiana, this increased demand meant opening five new locations in 2024. As a result, they had a number of primary care jobs to fill. The leader of the group wanted to ensure the rapid growth wouldn’t dilute the organization’s commitment to quality care. To support these initiatives, she turned to physician recruitment firm Jackson Physician Search to help them find primary care physicians who were passionate about providing care to communities such as theirs.
Search Consultant Maya Becker met with the group’s leader and was immediately impressed by everything she learned. It was a collegial, supportive environment focused on high-quality patient care. The offered physician compensation was not as competitive as that offered by some hospitals in the region, but they made up for it by giving physicians schedule flexibility and generous time off. It would be an ideal opportunity for physicians who value work-life balance.
Maya knew that finding the right cultural fit was critical. She focused on crafting both a Family Medicine job ad and an OB-GYN job ad that would speak to mission-minded physicians and highlight the schedule flexibility and the lack of call and weekend shifts. She also noted that the small-town locations were easily accessible from Chicago.
Maya distributed ads for the primary care jobs via Jackson Physician Search’s extensive job board network. She then turned to the multiple physician databases in her toolbelt to identify family physicians and OB-GYNs with ties to Chicago. She began reaching out to these physicians one by one. During this process, her first strong lead, Dr. A, reached out to her.
Chicago OB-GYN Seeks Primary Care Jobs Outside of the City
Dr. A, an experienced OB-GYN, was practicing in an underserved neighborhood of Chicago, where she rented an apartment. However, she owned a home in northern Indiana, where Maya’s client had an opening. Dr. A saw the primary care job online and contacted Maya for more information. Maya knew from the first conversation that Dr. A would be a great fit. Sure enough, upon visiting, Dr. A loved everything she learned about the group. The people were warm and welcoming, and the patient population closely aligned with that of her current practice.
Her only concern was the compensation. She was interviewing with other organizations offering more. Maya understood why opportunities with higher compensation seemed more attractive. However, Maya also knew Dr. A valued the mission, culture, and growth opportunities that were unique to her client. To make sure that Dr. A made the best decision for herself, Maya explained the difference in career trajectories between the two practice types. Ultimately, Maya’s client aligned more with Dr. A’s long-term goals and was her first choice.
Family-Focused Resident Finds Ideal Work-Life Balance
Dr. L was nearing the end of her residency in New York when she received a text from Maya about the Family Medicine opportunity. Maya had come across Dr. L’s profile in a database and reached out to her due to her interest in Chicago. The job’s proximity to the city was appealing, but the schedule flexibility really spoke to Dr. L. She had young children and a partner who worked long hours. She had been looking for the right primary care job for a while, but nothing felt right. The FQHC’s flexible scheduling options and the job’s lack of weekend or call requirements were ideal. With Maya’s help, Dr. L negotiated a fair salary and a four-day workweek — the perfect scenario for her young family.
Serving the Underserved Close to Home
At Jackson Physician Search, even if one door closes, another can easily open. That was the case for Dr. E. Maya was referred to Dr. E by a Jackson Physician Search colleague who spoke to her about a different opening. Dr. E had recently finished her residency in Texas and was looking for opportunities to serve in Chicago, where she was originally from. Maya reviewed her colleague’s notes from their previous call, and, on paper, she seemed like a perfect fit. However, she seemed to be less receptive to Maya’s calls. Maya did not give up, emailing or calling once a week about the opportunity with her client. After eight weeks without a response, Dr. E called Maya back. Within a week, Dr. E was on-site meeting with the team; a week after that, she had an offer in hand. Maya helped her understand the terms of the contract, the compensation package, student loan assistance, and even what she could expect in those first days and weeks on the job. Dr. E appreciated Maya’s “hand-holding” and was thrilled to have an opportunity to serve patients in a town so close to her family in Chicago.
Secrets of Primary Care Job Search Success
Maya opened the search for her client in December of 2023, and all three candidates had accepted offers by June of 2024. Each candidate’s success began with them engaging with an online resource — a job board or a database — that ultimately led them to Maya and her client. Dr. A was diligently searching job boards for OB-GYN jobs near her home outside of Chicago, and when she spotted one in the right location, she acted quickly. Because her priority was on location, she was willing to be flexible in other areas. Dr. L’s priority was work-life balance. She needed schedule flexibility in order to be there for her family, and what Maya’s client offered was exactly what she’d been holding out for. Also a resident, Dr. E was equally thrilled to accept a job with Maya’s client. She especially appreciated the dedicated guidance Maya offered throughout the process of securing her first job post-training. The organization’s focus on quality of care and serving the underserved spoke to all three candidates, so they were willing to make some sacrifices when needed because the work was so meaningful.
If you are beginning a search for primary care jobs and hoping to blend purposeful work with a competitive income, the recruitment team at Jackson Physician Search can help. Reach out today or start searching physician jobs online now.
