Well, fellow residents, for me the time has come. I say this with a sigh of nervous tension: it’s time for the job search. Like many of my senior colleagues around the country I’m beginning the potentially stressful search for practice opportunities after I graduate from residency.

I can hear some of you shouting from your computer screens, “How can you be talking about this now? We’re only two months into the year. Are you crazy? Are you really THAT ANAL?” The answer is, yes, I am that crazy, that anal, and I’ll bet this topic is on the mind of just about every senior in the country. Tell me I’m wrong.

Of course, I’m excited to be moving on to the next stage of my career. I’ll be truly responsible for all of my medical decisions. I’ll be establishing relationships with my local physician colleagues and my patients. I’ll be treating and curing patients to the best of my ability. I’ll be performing interesting surgery. And of course, the small side benefit that my income will be far greater that it is now (could I say that with any more sarcasm?)

On the other hand, I’ve had a wonderful residency experience. I could go on for 10 Residency Raps talking about how good my program is, the fabulous experiences I’ve had at Botsford General Hospital, the wonderful (and some not so wonderful) people) I’ve met here. In some ways, residency is a cocoon that wraps you up in academics and surgery, which I imagine is quite different from private practice. So it’s with mixed feelings that I’m starting to look for a job.

So, I figured what better way to use the Residency Rap than to use myself as a case study of the average podiatric resident looking for a job. In subsequent issues I’ll provide updates as to my progress, the good, the not so good, etc. Hopefully, my experiences along the way might be helpful to those that come next. And for all you seniors out there looking for a job/fellowship/academic position, whatever it is, write in and tell the rest of us of your experiences. Give us an update as to your progress. That’s what this forum is all about, another tool to help each other. And it doesn’t work unless you participate!

OK. I’m climbing off my soapbox. So far I’ve done a little preliminary research. My wife and I decided against a fellowship after residency, and to go directly into private practice. Family obligations are a very important consideration. We then decided to start looking for practice opportunities by region. We like the West, so we’re focusing on that side of the country. Past physicians have told me that you have a better chance for a greater income if you’re more flexible on location, so we’re keeping it broad for now. We then looked up podiatrists and multispecialty practices in areas that looked interesting, and I’m planning on calling them directly and then sending my CV to any interested parties. I’ve been in touch with a few folks, but nothing’s panned out yet.

That’s as good a start as any to the dreaded job search. Email me and let me know your experiences. Where are you getting your job listings? Are you receiving offers from docs at your program? What are your plans for post-residency life? What barriers do you foresee? Am I really crazy????

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