Physician profile: Scott Salmon, D.O.

WORK: Urologist at Southwest Urologic Specialists in Gilbert, Ariz.

EDUCATION/TRAINING:
Medical school: Midwestern University, Glendale Campus
Residency: Detroit Medical Center

IN PRACTICE SINCE: Starts August 2013

Salmon and his wife, Jennifer, have four children: Cali (6), Isaac (4), Adam (2) and Maylee (4 months). He enjoys fly-fishing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, jogging and mountain biking. Salmon found his job using PracticeLink.com and will begin practice in August.

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

Start early. I contacted office managers and began searching the internet for job opportunities in the area I wanted to live a year and a half before graduation.

PracticeLink helped me get in touch with two groups in the exact area I was looking for employment. I interviewed with five groups in the area I was looking to live in between nine months and one year before graduation. It still took another four and a half months to complete the contract.

I signed the contract and had four months prior to graduation to begin preparing for state licensing, credentialing, paperwork and moving. PracticeLink helped me make the connections to get the job I wanted in the community my wife and I wanted to raise our family.

What surprised you about your physician job search?

I was surprised to find the high demand for my specialty. A physician has to work hard to convince people that they are a good candidate to get into medical school and residency. It was nice to have the reversal, where groups wanted me to come work with them.

Any other advice?

First, decide what type of practice you want: academics, hospital employed or private practice. Then learn all you can about the nuances of the one you select so that you can ask the right questions to find out what group/employer is best for you.

At first, I didn’t know what I should be asking at the interview. I spoke with my mentor in urology, and he informed me about different things I should consider. He’d had three previous groups and let me know what pitfalls to watch out for and what things were optimal.

I made a mental list of these things to ask in each interview. This process helped me realize what I was ultimately looking for and made it easier to identify the right group for me.