Negotiating compensation is often the most stress-producing part of the employment process. If you are working with one of our Liaisons or Physician's Agents, you will not discuss this directly with the employer at all. The Liaison or the Agent will handle all negotiations for you (see: Working with Liaisons/Agents) If you are not working with a Liaison or Physician's Agent and are negotiating compensation yourself, we recommend the following guidelines:

Do not bring up money during the interview. Always let the employer broach questions of compensation.

Defer negotiations until the employer is ready to make an offer. If you are unsure, then ask "Are you ready to make an offer at this time?" If they say they are not ready yet or still need to interview other candidates, tell them that you are confident that you can come to a suitable arrangement once they have made their decision. This allows you both to evaluate how well your needs and those of the practice will match without clouding the issue with financial concerns.

When they are ready to make and offer, remember to consider the full range of a compensation package. Often a lower starting salary will turn out to be a great offer when combined with benefits like loan repayment, paid malpractice insurance, continuing education funding, or percentage earnings from the practice. Remember that you are only negotiating your first year's salary. Once you've had the opportunity to demonstrate your value to the practice, your employers should be open to re-negotiating the contract.