ACC CardioCareer & CME Guide - March 2008v8 - (Page 23) The Academic Contract: A Balancing Act While some academic contracts aren’t as detailed as those for private practitioners and may be more variable, you can’t lose sight of the impact the contract can have on your academic future and ability to become part of a faculty, explains Dr. Michelena. “You need to seek balance between Dr. Michelena academic production and income,” he stresses. Academic institutions vary in their willingness to negotiate how your time will be divided among clinical duties, teaching, and research. As you enter contract discussions, be absolutely certain what your goals are and how much you can do. “Be extremely clear with the people you are negotiating with about your goals, what you plan to accomplish, how you are going to do it, and how you are going to be judged,” says Dr. Michelena. The following are some questions to keep in mind: What will your role be? Will the medical center value you as a clinician and a teacher? Or does the contract focus too much on how many papers you’ll produce? A critical point in negotiating a job contract at an academic medical center is being aware of provisions that eliminate your job if you don’t receive grant funding within a set time frame. “This is a very scary catch,” says Dr. Michelena, “because the welfare of your family depends on whether someone likes your grant application.” Will you have time for research? If you’re serious about research, negotiate provisions that offer protected research time, but be reasonable. “An academic institution is not going to pay 50 percent of your salary so that you can do research 50 percent of the time,” warns Dr. Michelena. It’s probably more reasonable to negotiate just enough time to get projects underway while fulfilling your teaching and clinical duties. The Moment of Truth Stop! Even if you think you’ve negotiated the world’s best contract, take some time to review it again. Do you have everything in writing? You should. “All contracts differ in their language and can be hard for a non-legal person to understand,” says Dr. Schaefer, who, along with Mr. Hertz, recommends hiring an experienced health care contract attorney to review the contract once the offer is firm and you’re sure it’s the job you want. You’re heading into a long-term commitment, the equivalent of walking down the aisle to take your vows, adds Mr. Hertz. Before you say “I do,” ask yourself if this is who you really want to marry. This article was reproduced with permission from the Winter 2008 issue of ACC’s Fellows-in-Training News, Vol. II, No. 2. Copyright 2008 American College of Cardiology.u CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY The Department of Cardiology within the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute is searching for a BC/BE Clinical Cardiologist to join our existing 5 person group at our Baton Rouge location. The salary and comprehensive benefits package are excellent. Ochsner (www.ochsner.org) is a non-profit, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system employing over 600 physicians. In Baton Rouge, Ochsner has 102 medical providers on staff in five facilities. The city is a beautiful, safe, friendly place to raise a family with great schools, restaurants, shopping and an abundance of sports and cultural opportunities. Baton Rouge is an exciting University town, home to S. E. C. powerhouse Louisiana State University. Please e-mail CV to: cwhite@ochsner.org to Christopher J. White, M.D., Chair of the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, or call (504) 842-3717. Ref. # ACDBR14. EOE. American College of Cardiology CardioCareer & CME Guide 23 www.ochsner.org
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