Navigating the job market, negotiating contracts, and defining a professional brand are essential skills for psychiatrists at all career stages. This session provides a practical guide to help psychiatrists effectively position themselves for career success. Dr. Madaan will begin with an overview of the psychiatric job market, covering how to navigate job searches effectively and leverage professional networks and mentorship to find the right fit. Attendees will learn strategies for positioning themselves as strong candidates in a competitive field. Dr. Fernandez-Robles will discuss personal branding and negotiation fundamentals. This segment will help psychiatrists articulate their professional value and optimize their online presence. This segment will also explore contract essentials, including salary discussions, benefits structuring, and handling counteroffers without jeopardizing relationships. Additionally, attendees will gain insights into effective negotiation techniques, identifying red flags, and structuring conversations with potential employers. Dr. Wang will conclude with readings from her published memoir, sharing insights on diverse work environments, including private practice, HMOs, for-profit health organizations, homeless clinics, student health, and academia. Psychiatric training often focuses on the ideals of medical practice, sometimes leaving young physicians mystified as they enter the workforce. Dr. Wang’s often-humorous memoir focuses on the challenge of maintaining our ideals, while confronting the realities of working within America’s profit-driven health care industry. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, allowing participants to engage with faculty and apply the session’s insights to their career paths. By the end of this session, attendees will be equipped with practical tools and strategies to navigate the job market, negotiate effectively, and make informed job choices.
Format
Recorded webinar, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity.
This presentation was recorded at the 2025 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.
Learning Objectives
- Identify effective job search strategies for psychiatrists including networking mentorship and the role of professional organizations.
- Start building a compelling personal brand that enhances professional visibility and career advancement
- Apply key negotiation concepts to optimize job offers while maintaining professional relationships.
- Recognize common pitfalls in contract discussions and learn to navigate difficult conversations effectively
- Differentiate between various psychiatric work environments to align career choices with personal and professional goal
Target Audience
Medical Students, Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists
Estimated Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.5 hours
Begin Date: February 1, 2026
End Date: February 1, 2029
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the event date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physicians
The APA designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Program Presenters
- Carlos Fernandez-Robles, M.D., MBA
- Dora-Linda Wang, M.D.
- Vishal Madaan, M.D.
Program Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD. Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director, APA.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance