Anyone involved in recruiting hospitalists knows that the market is very tight. And when it comes to posting job ads in magazines and journals, one always wonders just which publications will maximize the chance of hooking and reeling in that ever-elusive recruit.
One magazine recently published an article about the difficulties of recruiting in rural areas. A physician recruiter for Great Falls Clinic in Great Falls, Mont., was quoted as saying, “We’ve actually run ads in Field and Stream to target the right fit for our opportunity and community.”
Talk about thinking outside of the box! Because I am no stranger to recruiting problems, albeit in the less-than-rural state of New Jersey, that level of creativity got me thinking: Why couldn’t I be equally entrepreneurial in placing my ads, as follows? (All in good fun of course–a sense of humor is needed when recruiting hospitalists in this market!)
Sports Illustrated: Our hospitalist program is located only 30 minutes from the stadiums where the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles, Fliers and 76ers all play. Then again, no Philadelphia-area team has won a championship since 1983, which might make recruiting to avid Sports Illustrated readers a bit of a stretch.
But which state is home to Giants Stadium and the most recent Super Bowl champions? Yep, you guessed it …
Rolling Stone: Most physicians love music, and New Jersey takes pride in being the home to some of the masters. We had “Ol’ Blue Eyes” (Hoboken’s own Frank Sinatra), and we still have “The Boss” (Bruce Springsteen, who put Asbury Park back on the map).
And while some doctors may beg to differ, practicing medicine in a state that Jon Bon Jovi (this year’s political power-broker) calls home can’t be all bad–who else has had a Top 10 hit with a song called “Bad Medicine?” As a bonus, we are the only state without a state song, which could be a true opportunity for the aspiring and musically gifted hospitalist.
The New Yorker: All those physicians who heart NY should bear in mind: We’re right next door.
Better Homes and Gardens: Hospitalists with a green thumb should look no further. After all, we are “The Garden State.”
Horse & Rider: Are you a hospitalist who loves horses? We’ve got more–horses, that is–per square mile, apparently, than any other state. In fact, we love horses so much, they are our state animal.
U.S. News & World Report: America’s Best Colleges: According to the 2008 edition, Princeton University, which is located only 35 minutes from our hospital, is the perennial No. 1 university in America. Our payroll department would be happy to arrange the direct deposit of your entire salary to the care of Princeton, should your child enroll.
Robb Report: Hospitalists may not be the biggest demographic for this magazine, which targets the ultra-rich shopper. Yet I suspect that there are a few dreamers out there, and we do have plenty of overtime available.
Seventeen: This audience may be a tad young, but then again, the average wait for a medical license in New Jersey is more than six months. Why not start looking for aspiring hospitalists in their formative years?
Backpacker: High Point is New Jersey’s tallest peak, all 1,803 whopping feet of it! What more could hospitalists who love the outdoors want?
Casino Player: Hospitalists who know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, when to walk away and when to run need look no further than Atlantic City to supplement their income. The gambling mecca is only an hour’s drive from our hospital.
Car and Driver: Car aficionados will not be disappointed. Driving here is smooth sailing: Because New Jersey is one of only two states where it is against the law to pump your own gas, you’ll never even have to leave your car!
Cat Fanciers’ Almanac: Well, you never know!
I still have some money left in my advertising budget. Ideas, anyone?
Published in the April 2008 issue of Today’s Hospitalist
