At BagMask.com we look at a ton of job postings and talk to countless recruiters. Now a lot goes into whether a job offer is the right fit for a provider. Salary, location, benefits, schedule, caseload are all part of it, but some offers definitely stand out from the rest.
I am going to share with you different parts of packages that had me saying “That’s crazy!”
Why?
It’s good for all of us as an anesthesia community to know what is being offered out there. And I understand not all groups can offer some of these amazing benefits because of financial limits or group obligations, but they are still fun to talk about in the anesthesia lounge.
PTO
I love my time off, but then again who doesn’t! The national average is 6 weeks of PTO and I fall in this category, for now. We have a tiered system offering up to 8 weeks based on tenure. So I am getting there.
But I cringe at the thought of some places offering only 4 weeks and I am completely envious of the ones at 10 weeks of PTO! Best of all, there are more of these offers popping up! Sound Physicians, Somnia and Apollo have some locations that offer this along with other groups advertising this generous benefit.
Honestly anything with at least 8 weeks is awesome, but hitting double digits is the dream. It’s almost a week off every month or off almost every Friday for the whole year.
Tuition Reimbursement
I am completely jealous of the loan reimbursement offers that new grads and residents have the opportunity to claim. But at the same time I am excited they get to take advantage of it!
You can find out if companies are offering it two ways.
1. Simply ask the anesthesia group- “Out of curiosity, do you offer student loan reimbursement?” Honestly, it’s that easy.
2. When searching jobs on BagMask.com type in student loan in the filter bar on the results page. I am seeing offers ranging from $30,000 to $200,000 in student loan forgiveness.
There’s a catch, right? Of course.
It’s usually in some form of a time requirement you promise to work. Depending on the amount of the loan forgiveness it can vary from one to four years. So make sure to understand the conditions for being awarded the benefit. Also inquiry to when the dispersal of the funds occurs and what happens if you are to leave before fulfilling your time of service obligation.
Retirement Matching
Depending how much the anesthesia job’s matching is can allow you to retire years earlier…or wealthier.
I have been on two ends of the spectrum working for different anesthesia companies throughout my career. One side was matching 3% and the other 11% per year. At 11% I was literally counting the number of years it would save me from working.
When the matching starts hitting 8% I start thinking this is really good. Anything above 10% is outstanding.
And guess what? There are groups offering these rates.
Some are even offering a flat contribution of $38,500/ year!
Final Thoughts
As amazing as all these top tier benefits are, they are just part of the overall picture of an anesthesia job offer. Make sure to take in the whole compensation package into consideration along with the intangibles the job offers for that right fit. However, knowing what benefits stand out from the rest of the industry can help make your decision a little easier.
