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[babyvet]

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[SnowJ]

-Non-competes (I have heard NVA has non-competes)

I didn't end up signing on with the VCA I interviewed at, but I wanted to chime in about non-competes; depending on where you are these may be hard to avoid. I hear they are becoming less common, but I have one in my contract (2022 grad)

I'd definitely be wary of extremely restrictive non-competes, but it may be challenging to find a place with none at all. These exist to try and prevent a massive loss of patients/clients when doctors move on to other practices, so some level of non-compete might be present in a lot of contracts you see. I wouldn't shut these down immediately, but look at your area and decide if the distance and time seems reasonable. This is something you can negotiate to change as well.

 

[battie]

2021 grad. First job was a VCA I externed at that was GP/ER on the south end of a large metro area. I was there for 1 year, 4.5 months. My current job is an ER only NVA more north central of the same metro area. I've been here for 2.5 months.

-Non-competes (I have heard NVA has non-competes)

Both of my contracts have non-competes. The original was 3 miles for 1.5 years. Don't remember my current one right now tbh. There are enough practices in the area that it would not be an issue for me. If I left my current practice, it would be to go into academia or industry anyways.

-negative accrual

Hells to the no. My VCA pay structure was prosal, so I would have absolutely said no to that. My current pay structure is hourly, so moot point.

PTO

My VCA PTO was 8 days (equivalent to 2 weeks). Not sure my current PTO tbh. However, my med director is pretty fluid with the structure and if you request time off, she tries to arrange the schedule so you don't need to use it.

Maternity leave

VCA covered 4 weeks following short term disability. I took mat leave from June 1 to September 1. I have no clue what our current mat leave is at NVA.

Quality of health insurance

I liked my health insurance through VCA (BCBS). Total for my pregnancy (from first prenatal visit to last baby visit when I left VCA), I spent maybe 7k out of pocket. That includes my hospital stay, delivery, and epidural.

My current NVA hospital is through Kaiser. I've been using an independent doctor since I was 17 who is double boarded Fam med and OBGYN, so I purchase private insurance for my son and I. However, the staff seems to like their kaiser plans.

If you remind me, I can look up my current contract later. On my phone currently rather than computer.


I like the culture of my current NVA better than my old VCA. However, part of that is I learned I hate GP. So it is slightly comparing apples to oranges. The culture was the main reason I left; really didn't have anything to do with actual corporate considerations.

 

[Rainheart]

My practice was bought out by NVA about 3-4 years after I started working there. Feel free to message me about my experience. We have been NVA for about 1 year. Yes, there are non-competes (NVA would not budge on that front). No negative accural. I am pro-sal. I got a raise, more vacation time and better benefits. However, I do not utilize most of the benefits as my wife gets MUCH better insurance options. The insurance, though corporate through NVA, still stinks.

 

[that redhead]

You may be able to contact someone in their recruiting department to ask?

Non-competes are pretty common, and (if fair) are reasonable/understandable from a business perspective. Obviously this is a point you can negotiate, but I wouldn’t be surprised that they remain firm on some type of radius.

Contracts are negotiable. Most recent grads are young and female, two categories with not-great track records for negotiating. But you could always consult a lawyer or find a mentor or guide for that part of it. With the market as it currently is, you can be pretty aggressive with your requests. You may need to give and take but that doesn’t mean you can’t work out a good contract.

 

[DVMDream]

Not sure my current PTO tbh. However, my med director is pretty fluid with the structure and if you request time off, she tries to arrange the schedule so you don't need to use it.

I'd encourage you to know what your PTO is. Not only to know what it is, but to use it. PTO is part of your overall compensation package, if you aren't using it, you're losing part of your compensation and they're keeping it. They're happily keeping it.

I love places that'll figure out the schedule around single Dr appointments or things like that. That's the way it should be. But when they do that for everything, it is exhausting. Sometimes you actually want a paid day off or two, or three. Or you don't want to slam in 8 days of work before a 10 day vacation just to minimize PTO use.

Know your benefits, use your benefits. Also know if any paid time off rolls into the next year or if it is a complete use it or lose it situation.

 

[battie]

I'd encourage you to know what your PTO is. Not only to know what it is, but to use it. PTO is part of your overall compensation package, if you aren't using it, you're losing part of your compensation and they're keeping it. They're happily keeping it.

I love places that'll figure out the schedule around single Dr appointments or things like that. That's the way it should be. But when they do that for everything, it is exhausting. Sometimes you actually want a paid day off or two, or three. Or you don't want to slam in 8 days of work before a 10 day vacation just to minimize PTO use.

Know your benefits, use your benefits. Also know if any paid time off rolls into the next year or if it is a complete use it or lose it situation.

Yeah, definitely agree. Just didn't know it off the top of my head for the purpose of the discussion.

My med director does things by hours per pay period (though I request three days a week regardless of the number of hours). So yeah, definitely don't want to do 6 12s in a row prior to a vacay or something. But I also want to keep some time off reserved if I'm sick or the baby is sick and his grandparents/great-grandparents don't feel comfortable taking him.

 

[DVMDream]

Yeah, definitely agree. Just didn't know it off the top of my head for the purpose of the discussion.

My med director does things by hours per pay period (though I request three days a week regardless of the number of hours). So yeah, definitely don't want to do 6 12s in a row prior to a vacay or something. But I also want to keep some time off reserved if I'm sick or the baby is sick and his grandparents/great-grandparents don't feel comfortable taking him.

Yeah it is finding that nice balance, where they will work the schedule around single day events that no one wants to use PTO for vs them trying to rearrange the schedule for every PTO request so they can minimize how much they pay out in PTO, which only benefits them. And definitely understand trying to keep a few days available for emergencies or illness.

 

[Trilt]

So yeah, definitely don't want to do 6 12s in a row prior to a vacay or something.

*nervously laughs in "literally my preferred schedule"*

Myself and one other doctor keep trying to convince our boss to make us alternate weekend, three day swing and two day overnights doctors. Work five days, off nine days, work five days, off nine days please haha.

 

[battie]

*nervously laughs in "literally my preferred schedule"*

Myself and one other doctor keep trying to convince our boss to make us alternate weekend, three day swing and two day overnights doctors. Work five days, off nine days, work five days, off nine days please haha.

My ideal would be Friday through Sunday days or swing every week. Not going to lie, your schedule preference would be awesome when the baby is older. The husband would be so against it right now though 🤣

 

[Minnerbelle]

Well at least with VCA, PTO is not actually a paid benefit. Even if you choose a compensation package that does not include negative accrual, they certainly don’t pay you for the time you’re actually taking off. PTO essentially ends up being permission to take unpaid time off.

In general your base salary is picked so that you’re not going to make under that. Which means that any day you take off is taking away from the bonus you would have gotten had you not taken that day off. So the “they’re paying you your base pay, you just don’t get a bonus” is such bull.

 

[SkiOtter]

One corp I interviewed with last year told me they had UNPAID time off AND was negative accrual. I don’t remember what corp that was but it was a nope from me (pretty sure it was a corp vs non-corp GP private practice)