How to Become a Physician Recruiter

Physician recruiters search for medical doctors to work within large managed care facilities, hospitals and private physician practices. According to "Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce," the Institute of Medicine's 2008 report, "as the population of seniors grows to comprise approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and critically unprepared to meet their health needs." This increase of aging Americans directly effects the competition for qualified physicians entering the workforce. As a result, the demand for competent and skilled physician recruiters will increase to provide the aging population and health care facilities professionally trained medical staff.

Instructions

1. Obtain a thorough knowledge of the medical field. A physician recruiter must understand the industry jargon required to assess a qualified candidate. If you do not have a college degree in the medical field, take additional coursework beyond your high school diploma to obtain medical knowledge. Because physicians have varying degrees of specializations and certifications, skilled recruiters must understand the basic work requirements of a medical doctor along with equal employment opportunity and basic human resources laws.

2. Determine your recruiting workplace preferences. There are three types of physician recruiters: in-house recruiters, freelance recruiters and inside sales recruiters. In-house recruiters are salaried positions. These opportunities require headhunters to work within hospitals or health centers to staff physicians for open jobs. The freelance recruiting and inside sales positions are commission-based positions that require long hours of cold-calling clients and interviewing candidates. In comparison to the inside sales headhunter, the freelance recruiter position is more entrepreneurial and is typically a work-from-home opportunity.

3. Work for an established physician recruiter. Unlike headhunters placing professionals in the administrative and construction industries, physician recruiters command six-figure salaries for their skills and efforts. As a result, the competition to become a health care recruiter is highly competitive. However, if a medical headhunter trains with an established recruiting professional, financial success in this field is achievable.

4. Learn how to recruit qualified candidates and fill job orders. A recruiter needs to learn how to manage the recruiting process from the first call to a hiring manager to placing the candidate into the position. A physician recruiter will verify the certification and medical training of the job applicant, check references and also screen the physician for a personality and skill match.

5. Obtain a professional certification. To maintain a competitive advantage over new recruiters entering the health care industry, obtain professional certification through the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS). Staffing professionals may obtain the Certified Consultants (CPC) or Certified Temporary Staffing Specialists (CTS) designation. After completing a thorough examination testing knowledge of employment laws and standard staffing practices and fulfilling verifiable experience in a staffing organization, a physician recruiter is eligible to receive these certifications.

Resources

• Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce
• Association of Staff Physician Recruiters
• National Association of Personnel Services Certification