It’s no secret that recruiting physicians for rural positions can be a challenge. The long-predicted physician shortage is the current reality, and according to a study from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), rural areas would need an additional 180,000 doctors to provide the same access to health care as their urban counterparts.

So, when a Kansas hospital, a new client, approached Jackson Physician Search (JPS) with the task of finding a Family Medicine-Obstetrician (FM-OB) to work in their very small rural town (population 2,100), they were prepared for a lengthy search. JPS brought in one of their most experienced recruiters, Search Consultant Sonya Cathey, to take the lead.

Sonya quickly recognized something important: it would be ideal to find a physician early in their career who didn’t mind living in a rural community and who would be willing to stay in the area. An experienced physician recruiter, Sonya knew about the Kansas Bridging Plan, which offers a loan forgiveness program that incentivizes physicians who train in the state to stay and practice after residency. She wasted no time contacting residency program directors in Kansas.

According to Sonya, Doximity Talent Finder was the ace up her sleeve. The tool facilitates swift identification and connection with qualified candidates. Initially, Sonya focused her search on Family Medicine residents in Kansas. Through Talent Finder, she quickly generated a list and began reaching out using DocMail messages. Her efforts were quickly rewarded when Dr. W, who also heard about the job opportunity from her residency program director, responded positively.

Sonya was thrilled when Dr. W shared her passion for OB and the continuity of care she could offer patients as a full-spectrum FM physician. Even better, Dr. W had grown up 30 minutes away from the Kansas hospital and knew it had an excellent reputation. The doctor also shared that she wanted to find a position in or near her hometown where she could stay long-term, so it was an ideal position for Dr. W – and the perfect location. 

Knowing Dr. W would fill a very particular vision of the right candidate, Sonya presented Dr. W, and the hospital agreed. However, another health care organization was actively recruiting Dr. W, too. But after a site visit that included Dr. W’s fiancé, Dr. W said “yes” to the Kansas FM-OB position. Sonya put a seven-month search in the win column, earning recognition as Doximity's Hire of the Quarter.  

Helping physicians be more productive so they can provide better care for their patients is a top priority at Doximity. We love hearing hiring success stories and how physician recruiters like you are helping to support health care in local communities. If you’d like to learn about other notable hiring stories, we invite you to read our client success stories.