Specialty: Internal Medicine
Employer: ProHealth, Wethersfield, Connecticut
Education: Medical school: New York University School of Medicine (2005)
Residency: Yale University, Primary Care Internal Medicine Program (2008)
Blackburn enjoys traveling, exploring new culinary delights, dancing, and spending time with her husband, Tyson Davila.
What surprised you about your first post-residency job search?
Many of the academic medicine positions would not even respond back unless my residency program director or chair of the department of medicine initiated the inquiry. This surprised me because I thought a competitive CV, experience and good qualifications were all that I needed to land a dream job. In the end I realized I still needed an advocate to help get past the barriers.
What’s your advice for residents beginning the job search?
Don’t rule out opportunities right away. You may have the idea to go into academic medicine in an urban center, but perhaps private practice, rural medicine or hospital medicine may be a better fit. Be open-minded and explore your options.
Anything particularly unique about your job search?
I searched websites such as PracticeLink.com, ads posted at national conferences and ads in journals for a few months to get a general overview as to what was out there before doing a more active search. I also spoke to colleagues to elicit their experience in working with different organizations.
How did PracticeLink help you in your job search?
It allowed me to search for jobs online without pressure from recruiters calling me all the time. On the other hand, if I wanted to be contacted directly, I could post my CV and have it distributed to recruiters. If I wanted more information, I could click on the request form or call the recruiter. I also enjoyed the articles published in PracticeLink Magazine on writing an effective CV, interviewing and reviewing contracts. Finally, I went to a regional job fair that offered a seminar on the basic steps to the job search.
March 1, 2017
PracticeLink
