Women's Dermatologic Society

Advice for Negotiating Physician Contracts in the Post-Covid Era Special thanks to James D. Kelso, JD, LLM of The Kelso Health Law Firm, PC for taking the time to speak with us and providing invaluable advice for negotiating physician contracts.   His law firm specializes in addressing the needs of health care providers and is almost exclusively limited to Health Law Services. His firm reviews hundreds of physician employment agreements and his guidance is incredibly helpful for our WDS members. How have contract negotiations changed in the post-covid era? Ultimately, contract negotiations have not been significantly impacted by COVID.  Force Majeure clauses were added to most agreements. This allows a party to terminate in the case of a riot, pandemic, war, etc. These were never found in physician agreements before COVID because physicians were supposed to go to work sick. You want this type of clause to apply to both parties equally. In the height of the pandemic, practices ...

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 negotiation...

By Samantha Schneider, MD When I finished training and started looking for my first “real” job, I knew that negotiating my contract would be part of the deal. I’ve never had to negotiate anything before and really had no idea what I was doing and just saying the word “negotiation” gave me palpitations. I did what any new graduate does and asked my mentors for advice. Fortunately for me, one of them recommended “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it” a book by Chris Voss. I bought the book to help with my job negotiation but it has completely changed how I see the majority of conversations in my life. Chris Voss is a former-FBI hostage negotiator who wrote this incredibly articulate, interesting, and helpful book on negotiation – with real life FBI hostage examples! He argues that almost everything in life is a negotiation from the obvious job contract to getting your toddler into bed. I wanted to share a few of the key points so that you too can neg...

PAC Pearls from the Women’s Dermatologic Society Practicing dermatologists seeking to hire or be hired must consider many factors beyond compensation when creating or signing a contract. With the help of Personal Attorney Martha Crenshaw, we assembled a list of legal and practical considerations for the potential employer and employee. Please note, the information and views provided are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to constitute legal advice. In general, it is best to think through and agree upon legal and practical issues ahead of time as terminations and break-ups will inevitably happen – and when they do, it is too late to re-write contractual terms. Ultimately, it is cheaper and easier to have the post-termination path plotted from the beginning. The employer typically has the bargaining power at the beginning of the relationship, especially given that most employees are primarily focused upon compensation and benefits at the time of hire. ...

Brian Tawney is a contract lawyer who works with physician clients and their practices throughout the country, helping his clients execute appropriate financial strategies. Read his career pearls about negotiating contracts where he answers questions like: >> Read the Full Interview What questions should I ask when negotiating a contract?  What is the basic structure of a contract?  Do I need a lawyer to review my contract? What general advice do you have before negotiating a contract?

Preparing to start your career in dermatology? Listen to the advice of experienced WDS members as they share pearls for successfully negotiating your contract. This webinar, featuring Drs. Jane M. Grant-Kels, Alexa Boer Kimball, Mary E. Maloney, Michael S. Kaminer, Abrar Qureshi, Lynn Cornelius, Murad Alam, and David Goldberg, goes into detail about what you should think about when looking for a job, what you need to know when negotiating a contract, the basic structure of a contract, and whether or not you need a lawyer to review your contract. Continue watching the WDS Webinar Series by following the WDS YouTube Channel   The WDS Webinar series is brought to you by the Young Physician Committee and sponsored by Galderma