My Recruiting Blog

Physician, Offer Thyself

Nurse recruiting is the longest-running staffing crisis in U.S. hiring history. Nor does any healthcare staffing outlook appear much brighter. Physicians are in short supply and great demand as well. In fact, this may be the worst looming healthcare crisis of all. Healthcare jobs in the United States are predicted to rise to nearly three million by 2010, with the greatest number of unfilled positions in family practice, internal medicine, gastroenterology, cardiology, radiology, obstetrics, gynecology and general surgery.

The National Association of Physician Recruiters recently conducted a study of the healthcare staffing situation. 93 recruiting firms participated. Researchers determined that there are 769 physician recruiting agencies in the U.S., and another 1767 recruiters on staff with the various healthcare facilities.

Healthcare staffing is a $14 billion industry, with each subsequent year’s increase anticipated at the rate of 15-25 percent. The average healthcare staffing firm, as determined by survey responses, has a staff of three, has been in existence for fewer than 12 years, grosses more than $400,000 annually, and completes 80 percent of its healthcare staffing searches successfully within five months.

No matter what type of healthcare staffing firm, e-mail, the Internet and recruitment job sites are strong parts of its recruitment tools. Retained healthcare staffing firms, requiring an upfront fee or monthly installment payment before placing a physician or other healthcare professional, rely heavily on direct mail or e-mail. Contingency firms, which don’t earn their money until the healthcare professional is found and hired, are much more apt to rely extensively on cold calling. Locum Tenens staffing firms, which place medical professionals on a temporary basis, make just about equal use of all the interactive tools, while in-house departments add medical journal advertising to their recruitment mix.

A nursing shortage isn’t anything new, of course. We’ve almost come to accept that as some long term issue. But, too few physicians? It seems that a profession glorified for its high profit margin and social esteem would have students flocking. There are solid reasons why healthcare staffing issues have come to include physicians themselves, however.

The number one reason for the growing physician shortage is that the population, including the physician population, is aging. Too many jobs. More people than ever before are opting to retire early, and young doctors are changing the way they look at their lives. Doctors just starting out often view their medical care license more as a means to a financial end than a calling. They work less and play more.

Treatments of illness have become considerably more complex and it’s difficult and time-consuming for physicians to keep up with the latest and greatest. This makes the healthcare staffing job more difficult as it makes the job less attractive. It’s a more litigious world than even a decade ago, and malpractice is costly for healthcare professionals. As a result, healthcare costs increase often and medical caregivers are faced with ever more hostile patients and uncollectible bills.

As with any employee shortage in any industry, the short term situation is a windfall for recruiting firms. Long term, however, a serious healthcare staffing shortage hurts everyone.

Labels: Staffing and Recruiting