Physician profile: Shannon Clark, M.D.

Specialty: Neurosurgery

Employer: Sentara Medical Group

Medical school: University of South Florida (2010)

Residency: Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (2017)

Clark enjoys watching movies and spending time with her husband and daughter.

What surprised you about your first post-residency job search?

Neurosurgery has very few graduating each year, so I thought I could take a pick of jobs in even a very desirable location. But the reality is most of the openings, even in neurosurgery, are in out-of-the-way, smaller locations. Because of this, looking early and carefully for what you like is very important. I’m very happy I found a job in a wonderful location—Virginia Beach.

What’s your advice for residents who are beginning their job search?

Start early, and gather advice from the residents who graduated before you with multiple interview experiences.

They gave me tons of info including the good hospital systems to interview with, the whole process, and even the exact number of their salaries and sign-on bonuses.

What was the most important factor in your search for a new job?

Location. For neurosurgery, building a practice is possible in most locations, even in competitive areas, with about five years of investment. Finding a place that you and your family can be happy with is the most important thing.

How did you find your job?

I applied via PracticeLink. I started out very early (May of 2016 for a starting date around August 2017). I also tried to put in an enthusiastic message about the job rather than just sending my CV.

How did PracticeLink help you in your job search?

It’s one of the posts I saw on PracticeLink that I applied to. The job description is exactly what I wanted. I’m very happy I looked through PracticeLink diligently!