Dear Rose: Are There Specific Things I Should Negotiate For in Academics?

By the WDS Academic Dermatology Committee

 

Question: Are there specific things I should negotiate for in academics? 

 

Dear WDS Member,

Great question! The best opportunity to negotiate and make adjustments to a contract is often prior to signing with an institution. The approach will not be one-size-fits-all given the differences in culture at academic institutions and a variable desire for parity amongst faculty. You will need to think carefully about your priorities when approaching your negotiation. For some people, salary may be a primary issue while others may find items such as protected time or research support to be critical. Be thoughtful about what strengths you bring to the table, and do not sell yourself short.

It can also be helpful to think about the negotiation from the chairperson’s point of view. How will the institution benefit from what you can bring? Oftentimes, jobs that are in highly desirable locations may be a little less flexible in negotiations if there are many interested candidates. It can help to note the length of time that a job posting has been up; there may be more negotiating power for positions that have been difficult to fill.

Some suggested starting points for negotiation are:

Salary - Ideally, there would be salary transparency, especially given the well-published trend for lower salaries for women compared to men in medicine. Many public institutions have databases where salaries are published, but this is not universal. It will be important to get a sense of the pay structure (base salary, salary back-stops/guarantee, +/- clinical production bonus, goal RVU target, % of collections, etc.) in order to negotiate best. Many institutions use national benchmarks to determine faculty compensation, with the AAMC faculty salary benchmarks commonly used at academic centers. You should use your subspecialty benchmark as a starting point for what’s reasonable for total cash compensation (TCC; typically includes your salary and any productivity bonus received).

Signing Bonus - Inquire about a potential signing bonus as these may have a range that is negotiable. It is important to know the rules for how the signing bonus is paid (lump sum right away vs. equal amounts in subsequent years) or repayment in the event that you leave the job early.

Clinical Requirements - Depending on the culture of the institution, there may be limited room for salary negotiation (some institutions strive for parity of pay and avoidance of “special deals”). It will be important to discuss the allotted protected academic time and how many clinics you are expected to hold. In addition to numbers of clinics, there is a wide range across the country in terms of work expectations. Specifically, you will want to understand if there are expectations around clinic templates and numbers of patients/clinic, inpatient coverage (and whether salary support is available), nights/weekends/call coverage, etc.

Research Support - If you have specific research interests, then a significant focus of the negotiation should go towards determining research start-up funds, personnel, and space and equipment needs in addition to the protected academic time. If you are bringing any research funds or have an academic focus that is particularly desired at an institution, you may have more negotiating power for having reduced clinic responsibility. If you are developing a new service line or program, you should think ahead about what resources you might need (time, staff, space) and negotiate this up front.

Continuing Medical Education – You may be allotted an amount of money and/or non-clinical days for CME or other educational expenses, such as attending meetings, traveling to give talks, etc. This can be an area where you may add a little bit to your total compensation when salary negotiation is no longer movable.

Intangibles – Other non-monetary items may be negotiable, such as office space (size, location, whether it is shared), parking spots, tuition discounts for dependents, etc. Although some of these benefits may not be negotiable themselves, it can be helpful to know what benefits are offered in order to inform negotiation of other issues.

Ultimately, it can be critical to speak to current faculty about the ins and outs of the academic institution. It can be extremely helpful to hear from current faculty (as well as the people who departed, if possible) about the culture and items that are commonly negotiated there. The WDS provides a fantastic network for making connections, as we have membership at many academic institutions (WDS Mentor Directory: https://wds.execinc.com/edibo/MentorDirectory/Directory). Best of luck in your search!

Yours Sincerely,
Rose

Additional Resources:
WDS Webinar Series – Negotiating a Contract
Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury (available on Amazon)
Never Split the Difference by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz (available on Amazon)
Ask for It by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever (available on Amazon)

*Disclaimer: views and experiences shared in this article are of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views and experiences of WDS and all its members.