Author's posts
The legal trap every doctor needs to know before signing a contract
Are hospitals crazy? I suspect many physicians would answer “yes” to that question without much contemplation. I have always assumed that, although hospitals are profit-driven and therefore likely to have very different priorities than phys…
The tiniest ray of hope for reasonable physician compensation?
When you have been reviewing physician employment agreements for nearly four decades, you tend to get a little jaded about the possibility of ever seeing reasonable compensation for physicians. Although I am continually preaching to the choir about the…
Are hospital CEOs overpaid? One lawyer’s skeptical take on executive compensation.
As somebody who has reviewed physician employment agreements for 40 years or so, I have to admit I am more than a little jaundiced when it comes to the subject of hospital executive compensation. I’m not altogether convinced that one health syste…
Very rarely, a physician can ask for too much
For over 40 years, I have been harping on the fact that physicians rarely understand their true value when they are looking for a new position. I always advise physicians that they get 0 percent of what they don’t ask for. In my practice, I revie…
Not all physicians are nice
I have been representing physicians for over 40 years, and the vast majority of the people I work with are genuinely nice. Overworked, stressed, sometimes distracted – yes, but most physicians entered the profession because they were sincerely concerne…
Locum tenens agreements for physicians
Locum tenens agreements can be useful to physicians in many circumstances. In addition to serving as a way to supplement your income during vacations, physicians often enter locum tenens agreements between jobs, to provide income while waiting for inte…
What happens if I don’t give the notice required under my physician employment agreement?
Many physicians ask if there is any reason why they can’t just give two weeks’ notice (or so) and leave a bad situation, even though their employment agreement requires significantly longer notice for without cause termination of the physic…
A tiny step to reduce physician burnout
At least one commentator has opined that “physicians aren’t burned out. They’re abused.” That is an extremely accurate diagnosis. No matter how many mandatory meditation sessions physicians are required to attend during their lu…
The dos and don’ts of physician employment contracts: Understanding the role of letters of intent in negotiations
A letter of intent (sometimes called a “term sheet”) can be useful for physicians and those who recruit them. The purpose of letters of intent in physician contracts is simply to ensure that both parties are “on the same page” a…
Hospitalsplaining: a lawyer’s perspective on condescension in the medical field
It will come as no surprise to anyone reading my articles that hospitals can be extremely condescending to physicians. As a physician’s lawyer who spends his days reviewing and negotiating physician employment agreements, I am also frequently …
