An Overlooked Interview Question That Could Make or Break Your Career

If you’re a physician looking for a position at a health system or practice, you are probably prepared with a pile of questions related to salary, call schedule, benefits, CME, administrative support and other contract details.  These are important questions and they help us make a pros and cons list as we weigh our choices.  As you search for the place to bring your talents, I’d  like to offer you a question to add to your list and offer you a strategy to use when you are weighing your options.

The Question:

“What is your physician well-being strategy?”

The answer to this question can reveal far more about the culture of an organization than any pros and cons list ever could.  If you get a blank stare or a comment about a wellness committee that you can join, then that’s an organization that doesn’t deserve your blood, sweat, and tears.

Here are some answers that will indicate a physician friendly workplace:

• Physician well-being is integrated into the fiber of who we are as an organization.

• We recognize that well-being is a byproduct of operational design and system efficiency, not a matter of individual resilience.

• We routinely measure intent to stay and physician burnout and use them as metrics for organizational health.

• We consider the downstream effects of policies and procedures across all departments.

• We have formal mechanisms to gather input from those in the trenches, and we collaborate across departments to improve systems and remove barriers to care.

• We empower you to make local decisions about how your team will best function.

• We support physicians individually across the continuum from burnout surveillance and support to professional development.

• We provide physician development opportunities and coaching programs while acknowledging that structural issues (not personal failings) drive burnout.

• Our organization is certified by The AMA’s Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Program

  
  

You’ve probably never even heard of the Joy in Medicine program.  I hadn’t until recently and I have the role as Chief Wellness Officer at my organization. The American Medical Association developed the Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Program to empower health systems to reduce burnout and build well-being so that physicians – and their patients – thrive. When I learned about the program, I committed our organization to taking the steps needed to bring the “joy” back to our practice. 

After receiving the Bronze level certification, it actually felt a little inauthentic and I was even afraid to let my colleagues know about it.  There are many days in our offices that feel anything but joyful.  Administrative burdens, EHR demands, prior authorizations, overwhelming volume, and staffing shortages often leave us feeling drained.   It often feels like the joy of practicing, the part that drew us to medicine in the first place, gets buried under layers of inefficiency and red tape.  

But on reflection, I came to see the certification differently. It isn’t meant to suggest that every day is easy or uplifting. Instead, it’s an acknowledgement of our commitment to prioritize physician well-being, to keep taking down barriers and obstacles, and to keep moving toward a better system.  

When unnecessary barriers are removed, when administrative burdens are lifted, and when you’re surrounded by the right people, the work itself can be energizing. The patient connection, the problem-solving, the privilege of being part of someone’s most important life moments, those are the reasons we go into medicine.

The right organizational supports make that possible. And that’s why the question about physician well-being is so critical. If you want a career that’s sustainable, where you can thrive instead of just survive, you need to know how an organization is investing in the well-being of its doctors.  

The Strategy for Deciding

After your pros and cons list is done, you have a decision to make but that decision should be made after checking in with not only your list and thinking mind, but with your heart.  Consider your relationship with work like a marriage. Before committing, ask the right questions, weigh the pros and cons but then get quiet and listen to your heart and your inner wisdom.  Is this the place for me?  

I’m not saying that salary doesn’t matter.  It absolutely does.  What I’m saying is that you only need a certain salary to meet your needs. What matters to you beyond that?   You’ve chosen to go into a field that’s challenging by nature, where do you want to work and who do you want by your side?  These factors don’t fit neatly on a spreadsheet but are critical to your ultimate fulfillment. 

Work for people who care about you the way you care about your patients.  A company that DESERVES you.  Make the choice that aligns with your values.  And like a marriage, if you're struggling and feel you might have made the wrong choice, work to fix it, and if it’s unfixable, find a new partner.