5 things to make your first year great

Hey new grads: Making your experience as a new doctor great is as much your responsibility as anyone's. So use these five tips to make your first year a total success.

1. Do your homework. You may be out of school, but you still need to study up. Interview the practice even more than they interview you. Go to the practice, and spend a day or two with the doctors and team members. Learn about the practice's culture, medicine, and surgery. Talk to clients and healthcare team members. Evaluate the physical facilities. Is this a practice you want to be a part of?

Check out the practice's medical record system, scheduling, use of paraprofessional employees, and so on. Does this team approach support the type of medicine and surgery you wish to provide patients? Spend some serious time evaluating the practice and its personality.

2. Get it in writing. Once you've decided on a practice, make sure you discuss all the terms of employment: compensation, hours, emergency coverage, personal days, vacation, continuing education, dues, license, and liability insurance to name a few. Outline your agreement, have your future employer develop a written contract, then have the document reviewed by a contract lawyer. Don't accept verbal contracts or handshake agreements. This is a business proposition; make your approach business-like.

3. Be realistic. Don't go into a practice thinking you're going to change the culture—that would be like marrying someone and thinking you're going to be able to change him or her. It's not going to happen. Be realistic in your evaluation, and think carefully about whether this is really the right place for you.

4. Act like a professional. You're taking a huge leap from being a college student to being a doctor. You need to act like one. You can't be best friends with the other employees; you can't go drinking with them after work. You need to be on time and communicate in a professional manner. And never speak badly about your employer or other employees.

You may not believe me, but this is important. If you don't set yourself apart, employees will have a hard time respecting you. Dress like a professional and act like one, at least while you're in the practice. In return, you'll be treated like one.

5. Communicate. This is probably the most important recommendation I've made. If you're struggling with the practice, its policies, its procedures, or anything else, talk to the practice owner. In fact, I suggest you have formal, sit-down meetings with the practice owner or manager every week or every-other week when you first start. Use these meetings to discuss problems and concerns; don't let them build up until they become huge problems for you and the practice. Any failure to be open and communicate honestly will result in a failed business relationship.