Locum Tenens Surveys & Questionnaires

Planning a Career Strategy
Consider this: somewhere between 40% and 60% of newly graduated physicians change their job after just 5 years.  Create a career strategy to help you figure out factors are important to you.  Some important factors to consider might include family priorities, location, financial requirements, and working conditions. To help organize your thoughts, write down the answers to the following 12 questions:

1. How do you wish to practice medicine?
• as a hospital employee
• in a single specialty group
• in a multispecialty group
• within an HMO
• solo
• in another setting (urgent care, outpatient student health, public health department)
• no preference
2. What kind of compensation would you most prefer for your first professional practice?
• income guarantee
• salary with a production bonus
• bank loan
3. What level of compensation do you expect in your first practice?
• $75,000-$100,000
• $100,00-$125,000
• $125,000-$150,000
4. How do you view working in a managed care environment?
• prefer
• do not prefer
• have no preference
5. In what type of setting do you prefer to practice?
• urban
• suburban
• rural
6. In what type of setting do you prefer to live?
• urban
• suburban
• rural
7. What type of school system will be important to you?
• public schools
• private schools
• not an issue
8. What is the most important consideration in selecting your first professional practice setting? The second most important consideration?
• geographic location
• financial compensation
• quality professional environment
9. What type of patient mix do you prefer?
• all hospital
• all ambulatory
• mix of hospital and ambulatory (specify)
10. How many hours per week do you wish to work (excluding call)?
• less than 35
• between 34 and 45
• more than 45
11. How many days of call each month are you willing to take?
• 4 -5
• 6-7
• 8-10
• more than 10
12. How important are job opportunities for your spouse/significant other?
• essential
• very important but not essential
• not important

You may wish to rank these 12 factors as most important, important, and least important. Use your ranked list when assessing the desirability of job opportunities, making the best match between the various opportunities and your needs. Meeting most or all of your career needs will not guarantee job satisfaction, but it does represent a rational approach to career planning.

Community Questionnaire: Questions to ask before you make the move
Before moving to a new community, ask the following questions to help you figure out whether it will meet your personal and professional needs. http://www.acponline.org/counseling/demog2.htm

1. The Competitive Environment
   1. Physicians
      1. How many physicians are in your potential practice environment                  
         1. In internal medicine?
         2. In competitive specialties (general practice or family medicine)?
      2. Are these physicians accepting new patients           
         1. In internal medicine?
         2. In competitive specialties?
      3. What is the average physician age               
         1. In internal medicine?
         2. In competitive specialties?
      4. How many new physicians have moved into the community practice area in the past five years         
         1. In internal medicine?
         2. In competitive specialties?
   2. Hospitals
      1. How many hospitals are in your community?      
      2. Do these hospitals provide competitive outpatient services                
         1. In primary care?
         2. In counseling?
      3. Does your primary hospital have                 
         1. A department of internal medicine?
         2. An open staff policy?
         3. Restricted privileges?
      4. How many new physicians have been added to the staff within the past year
         1. In internal medicine?
         2. In competitive specialties?
   3. Other Facilities
      1. Are competitive, alternative health care delivery centers operating in the community? How many      
         1. Free standing emergency centers?
         2. Primary care centers?
         3. Diagnostic testing centers?
         4. Industrial workers' compensation clinics?
   4. Managed Care
      1. How many managed care systems function within the community that are:
         1. HMO?
         2. IPA?
         3. PPO?
         4. Others?
      2. Which of the following systems are major competitive forces within the community?
         1. HMO
         2. IPA
         3. PPO
         4. Others
      3. Which of the following systems is likely to affect your practice?        
         1. HMO
         2. IPA
         3. PPO
         4. Others
      4. Which of the following systems are viewed favorably by the medical community?
         1. HMO
         2. IPA
         3. PPO
         4. Others
      5. Do the major businesses/industries in the community require, or will they require, their employees to join these prepaid systems?               
         1. HMO
         2. IPA
         3. PPO
         4. Others
2. Community Demographics
   1. Population
      1. What is the population of the community?
      2. How much did the population change in the past five years?
      3. Is the community considered transient?
      4. What is the population of the area from which your patient will come?
   2. Age Distribution
      1. Demographic Information            
         1. Number of new families that moved into the community in the past year?
         2. Number of new houses?
         3. Number of new rental units?
         4. Number of new employment applications?
      2. Geriatric
         1. Number of retirement/nursing homes?
         2. Number of families with older members living with them?
         3. Do these age distributions correspond with the services that you want to provide?
   3. Economic
      1. What is the percentage of unemployment in your area?
      2. Which of the following businesses and industries are present in your area?
         1. Technology
         2. Heavy Industry
         3. Agriculture
         4. Service
         5. Government
         6. Other
      3. Are new businesses opening?      
      4. Are established businesses hiring or laying off?
      5. What is the average income of the practice area?