Longtime WCI reader, first time poster.
I am finishing a medical subspecialty fellowship in June and have been interviewing at several places. One location in my howetown that is desperate for physicians sent me a full contract days after the interview. Two locations, both hospitals that are part of multi-state (Catholic if it matters) health systems, have sent 1-2 page 'letters of intent' which list the basic compensation details(base, pdtn bonus, signing bonus, relocation, # shifts etc). That seems nice, but both ask for my signature on the form if I am interested. The language around the significance of this signature is odd: it is clearly non-binding, but there is a lot of forceful-sounding language, about my '...expression of interest and intent with the above general terms and your non-binding intent to relocate to (x) upon succcesful negotiation and execution of a written employment agreement.'
Some, but not everyone, that I've spoken to have encountered this although I get the feeling it is common. Several questions:
1)Is this especially common with large health systems?
2)Clearly this is non-binding, but it feels like the employer might use my signing of it as a way to evade negotiation of some of the listed terms, saying that I had already said I was interested in the job while knowing that that was what they were offering. I know that I could totally back out of negotiations if I felt like I was being pressured into certain terms, but I would like to avoid having to do that.
3)In terms of etiquette/expectations, is it common to sign several of these letters of interest at once? I am coming out of training and have interviewed w/ several places, it is not like I am already deep into practice and just looking to jump from one location to another and speaking to a single group.
These might be obvious or rookie questions, but this is my first time and the stakes seem intimidatingly high. Would love to hear some of the forum's experience here.
I am finishing a medical subspecialty fellowship in June and have been interviewing at several places. One location in my howetown that is desperate for physicians sent me a full contract days after the interview. Two locations, both hospitals that are part of multi-state (Catholic if it matters) health systems, have sent 1-2 page 'letters of intent' which list the basic compensation details(base, pdtn bonus, signing bonus, relocation, # shifts etc). That seems nice, but both ask for my signature on the form if I am interested. The language around the significance of this signature is odd: it is clearly non-binding, but there is a lot of forceful-sounding language, about my '...expression of interest and intent with the above general terms and your non-binding intent to relocate to (x) upon succcesful negotiation and execution of a written employment agreement.'
Some, but not everyone, that I've spoken to have encountered this although I get the feeling it is common. Several questions:
1)Is this especially common with large health systems?
2)Clearly this is non-binding, but it feels like the employer might use my signing of it as a way to evade negotiation of some of the listed terms, saying that I had already said I was interested in the job while knowing that that was what they were offering. I know that I could totally back out of negotiations if I felt like I was being pressured into certain terms, but I would like to avoid having to do that.
3)In terms of etiquette/expectations, is it common to sign several of these letters of interest at once? I am coming out of training and have interviewed w/ several places, it is not like I am already deep into practice and just looking to jump from one location to another and speaking to a single group.
These might be obvious or rookie questions, but this is my first time and the stakes seem intimidatingly high. Would love to hear some of the forum's experience here.
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