If you have gone through medical school, done your internship and completed your residency, you have spent many years in training and education before you were actually allowed to practice medicine. Once you are done with all of that training, you are now in a position to get a job so that you can actually put all of that training and education to practical use.
If you are new to medical practice, you may not be particularly familiar with contracts and thus, you may not recognize red flags in the contract that your prospective employer is asking you to sign. Now is the time for you to become educated so that you don’t sign a contract that can hurt you later.
Is everything up for negotiation?
When it comes to a contract, you will hopefully have a sense of what you can negotiate and what is more or less set in stone. It is definitely a good idea for your to consult an attorney to look over your contract before you sign anything. One issue with a contract is the language.
Sometimes the language may be vague and you may not even be sure exactly what is being intended in your contract. One of the things that may be covered in the contract is a non-compete agreement. Most physician contracts include non-compete clauses. You may run into difficulty if the clause is in your contract, even if you don’t leave the job voluntarily. If you do have that clause in your contract, you may want it to be removed, if at all possible. In answer to the question, not everything is up for negotiation but many things are. You need to try to get what you want.
What happens if my employers expectations are unreasonable?
When you first accept an offer of employment, your employer should clearly state their expectations of you and of exactly what your workload is going to be. If you aren’t sure if the expectations of your employer are not reasonable, a good way to measure is to speak with another physician in the same specialty and with similar work expectations. If the other person communicates that what is expected of them is similar to what you are expected to do, you should be okay.
When it comes to compensation, the formula on which your compensation is based should not be confusing in any way. When you look at your contract, you should understand exactly which milestones you are expected to reach and the compensation that you can expect based on those milestones. On the other hand, if the formula is complex and confusing, it is a good idea to go back to your employer and ask them to provide you with some examples of how that formula is applied in your specialty to your colleagues.
Sound legal advice is wise
Once you have an employment contract and before you sign anything, it is a very good idea to consult a Pennsylvania employment attorney, who can review your contract carefully and advice you on what needs to be changed, negotiated, etc. Your attorney can also ensure that whatever is written in the contract is above board and has no hidden meanings. If you have already signed a contract, the attorney can help you to dispute what is not fair so that you get what you need and nobody takes advantage of you just because you are fresh out of school and signed the contract before you really understood what you were signing.