12/21/2024 Edition

HEADLINES

• Hot Topics in 2024: A handful of prevalent narratives shaped the world of medicine in 2024, some of them existing issues and others relatively new developments. Obesity concerns and Ozempic, inaccessibility to care, rising costs, and developments in artificial intelligence are just some of the hot topics that came out of the past year.
• Physician Autonomy: With less than half of physicians now owning their own practice, worries about physician autonomy continue to intensify. According to a NORC survey, "around 61% of employed physicians said they have moderate or no autonomy to make referrals outside of their practice or ownership system." Despite this, plummeting reimbursement rates paired with skyrocketing costs of operation are forcing more physicians into employment.
• Practicing in Rural Locations: Physician shortages and hospital closures are negatively affecting access to care in rural communities more than ever. Both public and private health organizations are responding with better incentives for trainees to either remain in the rural settings where they trained or relocate to a rural community post-training.

ARTICLES & EPISODES

What Physicians Can Expect in 2025: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

PracticeMatch

For better or worse, the environment in which you practice medicine is constantly evolving. Some large changes over the past few years have significantly impacted physician reimbursements, staffing, telehealth delivery, and other areas of clinical medicine. 2025 is slated to be no different, presenting a wide array of challenges and new opportunities for physicians.

Beware! An HSA is Great, but . . .

Rikki Racela, MD

A health savings account (HSA) is an extremely tax-advantaged potential retirement vehicle, making it sought after by employees. While an HSA comes with many benefits, there are some situations where it may not help as much as you think. If you are offered an HSA, here are the pros and cons you should be considering, especially for physicians whose spouses may have competing health insurance options.

Tackling Debt: Loan Repayment and Refinancing with Earnest.com

Physician Cents

Hosts, Tyler Olson and Chad Chubb, speak with Jenny Twomey, the Community Communications Lead at Earnest, about student loan repayment and refinancing options. They specifically discuss the pros and cons of refinancing and what exactly to consider when making that decision.?

THE RESOLVE BLOG

Securing an Academic Job

Evan Winter

Academic physicians can have some unique career options, and they pave the way for future physicians while helping to train them – an extremely important task, given the national physician shortage. However, many medical students and training physicians are either not aware of academic options and benefits or may be unsure of how to pursue such positions and negotiate for the right employment terms.

CONTRACTS

Pro Tip: Only around 20% of employers will propose a student loan forgiveness plan in their initial offer. But that doesn't mean you can't negotiate for one. With aid often ranging from $15k to $30k per year, you may want to bring it up when negotiating and add substantial value to your contract.

JOB SEARCH

Upcoming Career Fairs:

• On Thursday, January 23rd, PracticeMatch will host a Family Medicine Virtual Career Fair?from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM CST.
• On Tuesday, January 28th, PracticeMatch will host a Nationwide Virtual Career Fair from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM CST.

Featured Job Listings:

Pediatrician

Marinette, WI

Aurora Health Care is seeking a pediatrician to join their practice located northeast of Green Bay. The listed salary for this position is $322,649 and either J-1 or H-1B Visa physicians will be supported.

Family Medicine Physician

Eugene, OR

Pearl Street Medical is searching for a family medicine physician to to join their team in Eugene. The listed salary range for this position is $240,000 to $380,000 and either J-1 or H-1B Visa physicians will be supported.

Job listings provided by PracticeMatch