Nailing the interview: Strategies for landing your first post-fellowship job

After years of medical school and both residency and fellowship training, you may find yourself nervously excited about the next step in your professional career—getting your first “real” job as an attending. More than likely, the first step on this path starts with a job interview.

The following tips are intended to help you navigate your first post-fellowship job interviews.

Start with research

You've landed your first interview—now what? Research, research, and more research. 

In fact, one of the most important things you can do prior to an interview is to learn more about the medical director, the health system or academic center, and the city/region where the position is located. 

"Research on the place where you potentially will be working is imperative," writes Robert Kuramoto, MD, the assistant medical director of Champaign, Illinois' Christie Clinic in an article for the NEJM CareerCenter.^[]

Dr. Kuramoto advises learning about how the organization or practice is structured, including any affiliations they have with other hospitals, health systems, or medical schools, and even the ratio of primary care doctors to specialists.   

"Be ready to put your research to work for you," he adds. "You need to show how your skills match existing programs, but also should be able to illustrate how your skill set and expertise might add something their current program is lacking."

There are many ways to conduct this research. A simple internet search may be enough, but keep in mind that when applying for a position at a smaller practice or a rural organization, the search may yield limited results. 

Fortunately, most practices and hospitals will send an information packet for review—be sure to ask if you don’t receive one. It may be obvious but is worth pointing out: If you know someone working in the organization, be sure to ask them about their experience with the employer.

Basics of interview etiquette

In an article from the American College of Physicians,^[] Cynthia Smith, MD, FACP, the director of clinical program development, says, "The interview is an opportunity to ‘sell’ yourself and learn about the practice."

Prior to the interview, review your application and any supplementary materials submitted to the interviewer, including your CV and cover letter. If your application mentioned an interest in certain research topics or referenced a poster presentation from your time during residency or fellowship, be prepared to answer any questions the interviewer may have about these things.

On the day of the interview, arrive early and well-dressed in comfortable business-professional attire. Avoid strong colognes and perfumes, and avoid heavy make-up. Don’t forget to put your phone on silent to avoid the risk of any interruptions—the notifications may not only be distracting to you, but may also signify to the employer that you are unprepared, or worse—careless.

Also, keep in mind that some interviews may take place over virtual platforms. 

Remember, even though you are at home, you'll want to imagine you are in the interviewer’s office, so act accordingly.

During the interview

Be prepared to answer some commonly asked questions, so you are not caught off guard. Basic, preliminary questions that are sure to be part of the interview, in some form, include “Why did you choose us?” and “What can you offer our practice?” Practicing your responses out loud prior to the interview will ensure you appear competent and prepared. 

"Interviewers want to know what kind of person you are—what you care about, what your interests are," notes Dr. Kuramoto.

Avoid discussing potentially controversial topics like religion and politics—but, Dr. Kuramoto says, "Talking about things you care about—your daughter’s soccer team, your work in a local clinic for the needy, your passion for fly fishing—is always a safe bet."

And don’t shy away from asking your own questions. This interview is also your opportunity to find out if this employer will be a good fit for you. 

Interviews provide "one of the best opportunities to determine if you are making the best, or worst, decision of your career," says Dr. Smith.

Insights about the working relationships between future (potential) colleagues and their working style will be invaluable when it comes to making a decision in the event you receive an offer.

“Additionally, you'll need to collect enough information to determine if this opportunity has a high probability of providing career satisfaction,” Dr. Smith says.

Being prepared with questions will express your interest in the position. And it shouldn’t be too difficult to devise these questions—your pre-interview research will help you brainstorm questions that are specific to the potential employer.

After the interview

Once the interview has finished, don’t forget to follow up. 

If you forgot to mention something during the interview, a follow-up email is a great opportunity to provide it.

Depending on how many other applicants the employer is interviewing, you might not hear back for a few weeks, so be patient and use this time to prepare for your next interview.