To answer this question, you need to realize how long it takes to get you up and going (state lic, malprac, on hospitals, on insurances, etc) once you sign a job offer...
3-6months typically for PP that has other podiatrists (as soon as you get lic + malprac, they can bill you under the group for awhile as you apply to payers)
...add a bit (so 6-9mo) if it's a hospital job or a MSG or ortho that hasn't had podiatry before (they need you on payers and at hospital)
...add even more (so 9-12mo) if it's a govt job VA/IHS or academic job (just very very very slow process at most)
Sure, there might be some PP job you can start a month after signing, nasty payers that are delayed/closed in some saturated areas, or even a hospital privileges app that takes over a year due to very slow HR and politics, but those are not the norm.
Based on how long it usually takes to get a new doc running, that is normally how employers will behave. Good advice above.
-First year is fine to look at jobs and find where jobs are posted. If you're set on one area, make contacts there and shadow where you can.
-Second year is good to hone in on area or type of gig you'd prefer and get your CV finalized.
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Late 2nd year and early 3rd year is the "go time" : have your CV finished up, memorize your key skills and goals, practice some scripts for interviews, be prepared to travel (sure you can video interview for first interview or for some lesser quality jobs who just need a warm body as associate, but you will learn almost zero about the actual office/hospital/job that video chat way), have a few sets of good clothes and know how to dress nice, etc.
Some people like to send their CV to basically every posted job they can find online and see if a few of those hundreds of popcorn kernels pop, and others like to screen jobs and then call the offices to f/u on application, ask to visit, etc... take a more personal approach (usually my choice... since I'm interviewing them as much as they are me). Still others will call ortho groups or hospitals who don't have a DPM and try to create a position that way. It's definitely a situation of make your own luck.
...Regardless of your own strategy, the vast majority of jobs will want someone to start within about 6 months (maybe 12mo max if it's a hospital job) from the time of interview/hire, though. They don't want to play the candidate hunt game forever, and some even have an immediate need and prefer someone who already has that state license. If you apply for typical PP or MSG jobs in early 2nd year, most will just tell you that they need someone much sooner but will consider you in 6months if they haven't filled the slot (or if current need fills and another opens up by the time you could start... not impossible in larger groups/hospitals). If you talk to hospitals in the first half of your training, it won't ever hurt... but they will probably tell you to check back closer to your graduation to see if there is a need at that time. No harm done. It is still fine to get that practice and confidence and make those contacts, but it's pretty unlikely that anything will bear fruit until that late 2nd or early 3rd year resident time. I would
guess the average is Sep/Oct of 3rd year for DPM residents signing a job (and this even includes the DPMs who knew they were working at daddy's office or their hometown hospital from day 1 of residency). Most MDs are a bit sooner but not too much - rare exceptions academic jobs.
...at the end of the day, not many DPMs last at their first job. You want to get the best position you can and hopefully get through boards and pay down some loans there (rural hospital FTE or stable group PP is good for this), but it is always a learning exp regardless. GL
Yup. Nobody has a clue how well trained you are. So might as well use that to your advantage.
Oh for sure. Truer words have not been spoken. It is up to any job seeker to sell their training. ^^
