I. Make them feel welcome. Seems obvious, but encouraging all docs to individually welcome the new doc will make a difference. Honestly. Just do it.
II. Give them a list of things that they need to know about in town. Best place to buy groceries, list of housekeepers, electricians, plumbers, etc., restaurants, good place to go for a quick weekend with their partner, vets. Start the list now. Add to it as other ideas come up. These people are not in the yellow pages or local paper when you are in a small town.
III. Prepare a list of commonly used billing codes in your office, hospital, nursing home, wherever you tend to make your money. Each clinic has different common codes. Never assume new docs know them. They’re not taught in residency, and the codes they used elsewhere may not be appropriate. If your new recruit is making money to pay down the debt they have, they will be happier, promise.
IV. Check in frequently. Have someone who is their designated mentor that actually wants the job. Someone who will make sure they don’t feel like they are bothering the mentor. Knowing which docs to refer for what kind of issue is important. Knowing what to do when that doc then turns down all referrals is essential. Weirdness happens every day in the clinic.
V. Have regularly scheduled check ins. Both of you will be ready for the meetings and know that you are safe to say what you need to. If either of you have concerns, a regular meeting makes it easier for both of you to come up with solutions. If you just chat about a few cases, it will be time well spent.
VI. Be clear about numbers. How many days of vacation? How many months of free rent? How is overhead calculated? Everything needs to be in writing so that everyone knows the rules up front. That way when snide remarks like “but no one takes vacation in their first year” can be taken as the jokes they are meant to be.
VII. Make sure their new office and exam rooms are clean. Seriously. No one wants to work in someone else’s year’s of dust and outdated hand outs. That’s gross and indicates that your group doesn’t care about your new recruit.
VIII. Have a welcome dinner. Make spouses welcome. Spouses are the bomb for making new docs feel welcome. They know what their partners went through and will help make your new recruit feel like they belong. While you're at it, ask those spouses to add to this list.
IX. If you notice your new doc is not making it to the lunch room, it’s not a good sign. Check in to see what can be done to lighten the load. They will want to hear your advice.
X. Help them get a family doc. Know that they will NOT be comfortable with one of their colleagues doing their DRE or pap. Follow up to make sure that your friend actually took them on. You’d be surprised. It took my nurse begging a former colleague to get a doc for my partner and I.
XI. If your recruit comes to you with concerns, deal with it. While it’s true that things get better in 5 years (it’s OK to tell them that), it’s not enough. Help them through whatever is going on or you won’t see how much better they are in 5 years.
XII. Baby docs are just out of residency where they are taught that if they don’t have the answer to something, they’re useless. This will be a hard habit to break, but essential that they feel safe in stopping it.
XIII. Consider a community meeting/doctor to introduce people in town to the new doc. Getting formally introduced may reduce assumptions and gossip that comes later, or at least keep it kind hearted.
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