Simply Worth It: Physician Negotiations with Dr. Linda Street Doctor Podcast Network

Clinical medicine isn’t a straight and narrow road with no wiggle room or options. The path of patient care isn’t rigid at all...there are a few ways for us to treat patients without being pigeonholed into one way to practice.


What are the different models for working and earning money? If we crave a little more freedom and flexibility, what’s the best path? 
 
In today’s episode, I talk about the different models clinical physicians can choose, and why knowing all the options gives you an advantage at the negotiating table. 
 
 
Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
 
- The pros and cons of practicing medicine under a corporate employer
Is autonomy possible in the corporate medicine model, or do we give up flexibility for stability? 
 
- Why private practice can be a great fit
There’s a lot less red tape when you’re running your own practice, but what are the risks of running your own business? 
 
- How to get more out of your career through locums 
Why are locums so great for people who want more flexibility in their employment?
 

In last week’s episode, I talked about an impending negotiation and how I was preparing for it. Unfortunately, things didn’t go well. An agreement couldn’t be reached, and in the aftermath, I’ve been reeling and working through the emotional fallout. 
 
Sometimes the outcome of a negotiation isn’t what we hoped for, and it’s okay not to be okay. 
 
How do we cope with a disappointing result? In this episode, I share the lessons I’ve learned after my negotiation didn’t go well. 



Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
 
- Allow space for it to suck 
Why do we need to create room to feel our feelings, even the not-so-great ones?
 
- The truth you know vs. what they’re saying about you 
When your narrative and the other side’s narrative are divergent, how do you deal with it? 
 
- The most important decision you’ll make 
Even when things don’t go our way, how do we control our definition of success?

An impending negotiation can spark many different emotions, from anticipation and hope to nervousness and even dread. What if all those emotions show up all at once, creating a simmering stew of overwhelm? Not good. 
 
We’re not always going to go into a negotiation feeling 100% positive about it, and that’s okay. It’s important, however, to parse through those emotions so we can effectively go to bat for ourselves. 
 
How do we work through a hodgepodge of emotions if the negotiation has us all over the place? 
 
In this episode, I talk about getting into the right headspace if you’re feeling all the things. 



Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
 
- A thought download exercise 
If the negotiation is bringing up all sorts of feelings, how do we sort through them?
 
- Fact vs. story
Can we decide the thoughts we want to show up with even if parts of the situation are out of our control?
 
- Choose success ahead of time 
Agreement or no agreement, how do we make sure we come out of a negotiation feeling good about ourselves?

Whether it’s maternity leave, a self-imposed break, or long periods between jobs, resume gaps are something we’re taught to dread. It’s like going into career purgatory with no way of coming back. 
 
Could the time away destroy the momentum we’ve built? How many hurdles will we have to jump over to come back? 
 
In this episode, I share how to mitigate the challenges that can come from stepping away from the workforce. You’ll learn how to step away and re-enter with ease.



Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
 
- Getting around bureaucratic hurdles
If we take time away, we might have to prove that we’re clinically competent. How do we mitigate this ahead of time?
 
- How to be intentional about your next job 
If we need to recover from a toxic work environment, is it wise to heal before the next opportunity?
 
- Present time away as an asset, not a liability
Are attitudes towards job-hopping starting to change?

We’ve discussed BATNAs and the huge advantage they grant us at the negotiating table. Most of us think of set-in-stone BATNAs, but what about the more theoretical ones? 
 
What about “phantom BATNAs” - the not-so-certain options we keep in our back pockets? Materializing these phantom BATNAs into something real can be hugely helpful. 
 
How do we shore up our phantom BATNAs so they truly bolster our confidence in negotiations? 
 
In this episode, I talk about how to bring a theoretical BATNA to life. 



Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
 
- The advantage of having even theoretical alternatives
Are you more ambitious with a BATNA, even if it’s a phantom one? 
 
- How to invest in other options 
What steps can we take to fortify our phantom BATNAs? 
 
- The best lens to see all your opportunities through
When you have a BATNA every avenue you evaluate is going to be held to that standard. Does that bring us closer to what serves us?

When you have an imminent negotiation, there’s no time to dig into the nitty-gritty of your beliefs and socialization. That doesn’t mean you have to go in unprepared. There are brain hacks you can use to neutralize the mental and emotional hurdles right now. 
 
When your brain offers unhelpful thoughts - how do you pivot? In this episode, I share some quick brain hacks to effectively advocate for yourself. 
 
 
Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
 
- Focus on shared value
How can we short-circuit our brains telling us advocating for ourselves is greedy?  
 
- Don’t fixate on what you want to avoid
Can we get our emotions in check ahead of time? 
 
- Separate then from now 
If you were shot down before, you’ll go into this negotiation expecting the same. How do you dump that baggage?