Hospitals increasingly employ physicians but struggle with turnover, particularly in the first three years. These staggering six-figure cost of these early departures adds up quickly. Onboarding newly hired physicians, when done well, establishes a stronger connection to your organization’s mission and empowers new physicians to contribute. It’s an opportunity to engage physicians early and ensure that they feel supported in their professional development.

This implementation toolkit equips you with tools to construct a thorough physician onboarding program. Robust checklists will guide you through four onboarding phases—during recruitment, sign-on to start date, the first 90 days, and beyond 90 days. The checklists are supplemented by 13 detailed implementation tools to help you build the onboarding infrastructure that you need to boost early engagement.

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13 tools to equip you to build a strong physician onboarding program

Physician Recruitment

Checklist for Physician Recruitment (p.10)

• Editable tool: Checklist for Physician Recruitment

This customizable checklist helps leaders and physician candidates evaluate fit with the organization during the recruitment phase in order to preempt suboptimal hires, drive new-hire engagement, and reduce first-year turnover.

Tool 1: Behavioral-Based Interview (BBI) Guide for Physicians (p.11)

• Editable tool: Behavioral-Based Interview (BBI) Guide for Physicians

This is a set physician-specific, experience-driven interview questions to help interviewers focus on the behavioral competencies most critical to excelling in a particular position.

Tool 2: Cultural Compatibility Assessment for Multi-provider Practices (p.15)

• Editable tool: Cultural Compatibility Assessment for Multi-provider Practices

Practice evaluators use this assessment tool to highlight specific concerns around cultural fit when evaluating physician practices for acquisition, and to prioritize urgent issues for rapid resolution.

Sign-On to Start Date

Checklist for Sign-On to Start Date (p. 20)

• Editable tool: Checklist for Sign-On to Start Date

This customizable checklist for the period between signing a new hire and actual start date, ensures that active efforts to retain the new hire begin the moment the contract is signed.

Tool 3: Sample Outreach Letters to New Recruits (p.22)

• Editable tool: Sample Outreach Letters to New Recruits

These sample letters reinforce excitement and prevent the potential communication drought that follows a new hire’s acceptance of a new position and precedes the actual start date.

Tool 4: Sample Physician Mentorship Program (p. 24)

• Editable tool: Sample Physician Mentorship Program

This tool provides a step-by-step guide to implementing a physician mentorship program that helps new physicians transition into the work environment and culture, and maximizes early-tenure engagement.

Tool 5: Mentor Selection Criteria (p. 27)

• Editable tool: Mentor Selection Criteria

This tool helps leaders choose physician mentors that will commit to helping new hires by providing a foundation for practice and improving adjustment and integration with the organization.

Tool 6: Job Description for New-Hire Support Coordinator (p. 29)

• Editable tool: Job Description for New-Hire Support Coordinator

This tool is a step-wise description of the new-hire support coordinator position, who oversees clinical onboarding and mentorship programs, and consulting with leaders to avoid new-hire turnover.

The First 90 Days

Checklist for the First 90 Days (p. 35)

• Editable tool: Checklist for the First 90 Days

This customizable checklist helps you ensure that an engaged first 90 days of employment sets the right tone for the longer-term working relationship between the physician, new peers, and health system.

Tool 7: Conversation Guide for Executive-Led Kickoff Breakfast (p. 37)

• Editable tool: Conversation Guide for Executive-Led Kickoff Breakfast

This conversation guide prepares executives to facilitate an hour-long conversation with a group of newly hired physicians within 30-days, addressing head-on the most likely first-year challenges.

Tool 8: Conversation Guide for First-Week Flash Check-In (p. 39)

• Editable tool: Conversation Guide for First-Week Flash Check-In

This conversation guide equips direct supervisors to jump-start more meaningful conversations with new hires, beginning with a 15-minute candid check-in after the first week.

Tool 9: Guide for Check-In Between Medical Leader and New Hires (p. 40)

• Editable tool: Guide for Check-In Between Medical Leader and New Hires

This discussion guide equips medical leaders to communicate the department’s business plan and performance, reinforce goals and mission, and introduce new hires to a senior-level advocate.

Tool 10: Overview of Peer Physician Panel on “What I Wish I Had Known” (p. 41)

• Editable tool: Overview of Peer Physician Panel on “What I Wish I Had Known”

This sample workshop, called “What I Wish I Had Known,” offers practical insight from a panel of physician peers related to their experiences during the first year of practice at the facility.

Tool 11: Discussion Guide to Identify Retention Risk at 30/60/90 Days (p. 42)

• Editable tool: Discussion Guide to Identify Retention Risk at 30/60/90 Days

This discussion guide equips supervisors to gauge a new physician’s adjustment and surface potential retention concerns.

Tool 12: Tip-Sheet for New-Hire Onboarding Survey (p. 43)

• Editable tool: Tip-Sheet for New-Hire Onboarding Survey

This tool provides 10 tips for designing a new-hire survey that efficiently and effectively assesses the impact of their institution’s onboarding program.

Tool 13: Starter Set of Questions for New-Hire Onboarding Survey (p. 46)

• Editable tool: Starter Set of Questions for New-Hire Onboarding Survey

These starter questions will help build a brief new-hire onboarding survey if your institution does not currently administer one, focused on desired onboarding elements.

Beyond 90 Days

Checklist for Beyond 90 Days (p. 48)

• Editable tool: Checklist for Beyond 90 Days

This customizable checklist ensure that while onboarding support for new physicians past the 90-day mark may drop in intensity and frequency, it should remain regimented and highly supportive.