Embarking on a new position as a physician is an exciting step on your career journey. Start that journey off right by maximizing the benefits of the onboarding process. Beyond the obvious orientation sessions, here are some often-overlooked benefits of physician onboarding:

  1. Network expansion

Utilize onboarding as an opportunity to forge valuable professional connections. Use every opportunity available to engage with colleagues across different departments. Attend social events to help foster relationships outside the clinical setting. In other words, never be too busy to network.

  1. Customized learning opportunities

Take full advantage of any additional training resources offered during the onboarding process. Identify areas of personalized professional development and participate in those fully. And finally, seek mentorship from experienced physicians within the organization. They can offer advice and guidance about your organization, the work culture and administrative processes that won’t be available in any employee handbook.

  1. Understanding organizational culture

Embrace the values and mission of the organization. It will assist you in having a seamless integration. Make sure to carefully observe the workplace culture in action. You may find it helpful to participate in team-building activities to help you fully understand the dynamics.

  1. Access to support services

Familiarize yourself with available support services. Utilize onboarding time to clarify any logistical or administrative questions and establish connections with administrative and support staff.

  1. Introduction to community resources

Leverage onboarding to integrate into the broader healthcare ecosystem. Discover local healthcare networks and resources and explore any community engagement opportunities.

  1. Negotiation of professional development opportunities

Don’t hesitate to initiate discussions about future training and skill development opportunities. Inquire about attending future conferences and workshops. And always advocate for ongoing professional growth within the organization.

  1. Alignment of expectations

Use the onboarding process as a platform to clarify role expectations. Use this opportunity to discuss workload, patient expectations and performance metrics. This will help ensure a mutual understanding between you and the organization.

  1. Feedback channels

Use feedback mechanisms to address concerns and improve your experience. Do this by actively engaging in feedback sessions and providing constructive observations and experiences about the onboarding process. 

  1. Work-life integration

Advocate for a healthy work-life integration from the beginning. Understand organizational policies regarding work-life balance. Ask about flexible scheduling options during the onboarding phase to see what is available. This is also a good time to inquire about any wellness programs your organization may provide.

  1. Long-term career planning

Don’t be shy about discussing your career goals and aspirations during onboarding. Let them know you will want to explore opportunities for advancement within the organizations as those situations arise. This may be a good time to develop a long-term career plan in collaboration with your mentors and supervisors.

 

By recognizing and capitalizing on these often-over-looked benefits, you can transform your onboarding experience into a springboard for professional growth, collaboration and long-term success within your new healthcare community.