Washington State is a constituent of US and it is situated in the North-western corner of the 48 states that share boundaries. It shares boundaries with British Columbia the North, Idaho to the East, Pacific Ocean to the West and Oregon to the South.
The capital of this state is Olympia which is situated at the western region of the state. Due to its coastal location and the excellent harbours that it has, it plays an active role in trade between Canada, Alaska and countries in the Pacific Rim. Additionally, many trade and professional associated usually include Canadian members. Click here to read more about Washington State, its history and other fun facts.
It goes without saying that a city with a population of over 7 million people with bustling trade and business activities will surely need as many health care professionals as possible. In this article, we will share some tips on how to get the best of the industry in the state so stay with us.
Requirements to Qualify as a Physician in Washington State
It takes a lot to qualify as a Physician anywhere in the world. They put in a minimum of 7 years of formal training with a lifetime of updating their knowledge base. In addition to the years of formal training, they also must have thousands of hours of practical patient care.
Find below the process of training and qualification in Washington state:-
- Get a Bachelor’s Degree – you have to complete a 4-year undergrad program.
- Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) exam and pass; get admitted to medical school.
- Go through medical school
- Pass the first 2 parts of the USMLE (U.S. Medical Licensing Examination).
- Go on to residency where you get a minimum of 12,000 hours of hands-on practice on patient care.
- Pass the 3rd part of the USMLE
- Apply for Washington State Licensure. The state will then give you their list of requirement for obtaining the license which qualifies you for physician jobs in Washington State or to set up a private practise in the state. You may want to contact the Washington Medical commission before you start the process. However rest assured that if you went through the stages of education and training stated above, you are well on your way to getting your license.
Tips for Getting Physician Jobs in Washington State
Whether you starting out as a new physician or you want to change jobs, it is not always a walk in the park. However, there are steps you can take and things you can do to lessen the anxiety and stress of the whole process and land your dream job.
Find below some tips to help you on your job hunt:-
Get your Priorities Right
You can only get your dream job when you know what is negotiable and what is not. Determine the niche of medicine that you want to work in. This will help you know where to focus your search.
Know your Long Term Career Goals
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 to 10 years? Do you want to end up in private practice or government/public health care sector? Do you want to practice administrative medicine or do you want to go into research? Do you want to go into the entrepreneurial aspect of medicine? All these questions will help you determine the type of institutions to apply to and the kind of jobs to consider.
Ensure that your Paperwork is Up-to-Date
This is particularly for doctors who want to change jobs. Due to your busy schedule you may forget to update your CV/resume and this can cost you dearly.
Imagine that you’ve been practising for over 5 years and you have made some ground breaking discoveries but they are not captured in your resume? Or you have handled difficult cases that the success rate has hitherto been dismal but you successfully handled the case? These and many more examples are the reasons why you have to keep updating your resume because you do not know when that opportunity of a lifetime will show up.
In addition to updating your resume, ensure that your license and certifications are up to date to avoid legal issues. Visit this site: https://wmc.wa.gov/ for information about Washington State Medical Licensure
Register with a Recruitment Agency
This is a very viable option for both new and veteran professionals because it saves you a lot of stress and time. More so, these agencies help you to cut through a lot of red tape and also connect you to the appropriate employer. You do not have to sift through job adverts to find the right fit; the agency will take care of all that.
Additionally, working with specialized recruitment agencies gives you access to high ranking jobs that are most often not advertised publicly.
Conclusion
Getting your dream job in the medical sector of Washington State should not be an uphill task if you know what to do. We have shared some tips in this article and we know that they will go a long way to help you achieve your desire so bear them in mind as you go job hunting.
