What’s the Average Cost Per Hire for a Doctor?
Hiring in the healthcare profession is incredibly challenging but when hiring from international places there is a lot more to consider. There are a number of things that must be done correctly to make doctor staffing successful. To ensure a seamless hiring process, calculate the hiring cost, salary, benefits, insurance, and other incentives beforehand. In this blog, we are sharing the insights offered by leading doctor recruiting agencies.
The increasing demand for doctors all over the world and the importance of doctors makes it a must that staffing of doctors is done with utmost care and research. The necessity to make financial choices doubles this strain.
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Before heading into the process of hiring, the following doctor staffing calculations should be performed.
1) Doctor Staffing Calculations To Find Number of Doctors Needed In A Year
Hiring the right number of doctors is necessary for the smooth operations of a clinic or a hospital. The number of doctors should not be less as it will become difficult for the hired doctors to tend to patients with ease. And there can be cases of emergencies at all times, which requires that a sufficient amount of doctors are hired.
Doctor staffing calculations are done on the basis of the infrastructure, how many rooms are available, patients’ capacity, and lastly, on the basis of working hours.
2) Locum Doctor Staffing Needs Calculation To Find Number of Locum Doctors To Be Hired Annually
A locum doctor is a medical professional who fills in for regular doctors who are on leave. General healthcare responsibilities can be performed by those in this position, but they must be more flexible in terms of working hours and location.
Hospitals give relief and opportunity for permanent staff to relax by utilizing locum tenens. They aid in the prevention of burnout among overworked employees who are tired of providing coverage around the clock.
Top doctor recruiters suggest that hospitals put in place a talent pipeline for locum doctor staffing. In the absence of a good locum doctor staffing system, healthcare systems remain understaffed frequently.
3) Specialist Medical Consultant Hiring Calculations To Oversee Major Surgeries and Complex Medical Scenarios
Consultants are the highest-ranking hospital doctors, and they are in charge of directing a group of doctors. A designated consultant will be assigned to each patient admitted to the facility. In most cases, they work in hospitals or in the community.
Major surgeries and complex medical conditions are the expertise of specialist medical consultants. Based on what the hospital has specialization in, the specialist medical consultant can be hired.
Top doctor recruiters suggest the preparation of employer branded materials built in a superlative manner to attract medical consultants to visit and use the services of your hospital. For hiring reputed medical consultants, hospitals usually take the services of medical recruitment agencies.
4) Consultant Doctor Requirements
The job description of a healthcare consultant is to collect and analyze data and then draw conclusions and provide the results to customers in the form of recommendations. They can suggest policies on salary, budgeting, advertising.
Medical consultants are able to develop treatment programs and tactics that are specific to the needs of the client. The job description of a healthcare consultant may also encompass helping customers identify and address potential difficulties such as workflow or corporate operations and advising on how to improve the performance of a hospital or medical center facility.
5) Number of Medical Interns and Trainees Hired Over a Year
Prospective physicians are required to undergo a one-year internship after their graduation from medical school. During this year they may practice medicine under the supervision of an experienced physician.
After the internship, most doctors undergo a residency. This is a period of study in which they specialize and acquire additional knowledge in a specific field of medicine. Medical interns and trainees aid the doctors in the treatment of the patients and should be employed properly.
Estimating Costs Based on Doctor Staffing Calculations
1) Compensation Per Role – Trainee, Assistant Doctors, Surgeons, Staff Doctors, Etc.
When determining the staffing cost, the first and most fundamental factor is the wage, which is the base salary that the physician gets for their services and hard work.
In general, the medical Interns and trainees have a salary of Rs. 2.5-3 lakhs per year. Junior and assistant doctors expect compensation of Rs. 4.5-6 lakhs annually.
The average salary of staff doctors in India ranges between 5-7 lakhs per year, while the surgeons earn between Rs 12-20 lakhs every year.
2) General Benefits – Differs From One Country or Region To Another
There are other benefits available to your doctor staff in addition to the standard income. In the cutthroat world of healthcare recruitment, these perks packages really make a difference.
If a hospital has enticing incentive packages, it will be able to recruit top staff faster than those that do not. The general benefits offered to the doctors vary from one country to another. In India, the salary and bonuses offered to doctors are higher in major cities when compared to smaller ones.
3) Life and Health Insurance Coverage
The insurance coverage types your hospital offers, such as life insurance, dental insurance, health insurance, long-term disability insurance, and so on, are what draws physicians the most and are also extremely essential needs to incorporate in determining the cost.
Most hospitals provide this insurance coverage at various prices, depending on their budget. Life and health insurance provides a blanket of safety to all the doctors, which makes it easier for them to take the job.
4) Holidays, Perks, And Other Types of Benefits
Doctors are offered planned and paid holidays of 30-45 days a year. Locum doctors can fill their positions when needed ( Hiring locum doctors can be costly depending on which doctor is being replaced.)
5) Other Expenses
The other expenses occur when the training steps are begun. There comes a moment when a hospital has to hold special sessions to ensure that physicians and current employees are on the same page about a variety of issues connected to normal work. These costs should be included in doctor staffing as well.
Each doctor needs his or her own workstation and office supplies. Every time a new doctor is employed, a long list of supplies must be acquired, which can cost up to a thousand dollars.
Compensation Differences Across Positions
General Practitioners And Doctor Assistants
General Practitioners are often in charge of emergency rooms and outpatient departments. They are the most natural doctors to start providing primary health care.
The role of assistant doctors, also known as PAs in India, is to assist the doctors in the treatment of patients in every way.
The salary of a General Practitioner could range from Rs 8 lakhs to Rs 12 lakhs a year, while that of assistant doctors is half the salary of their seniors – ranging from Rs. 5-6 lakhs.
Chief Physicians and Specialist Surgeons
A head physician is in control of medical problems and is frequently superior to other doctors.
A specialist surgeon is a doctor that specializes in diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a specialized range of surgical problems that can affect practically any part of the body.
The salary of chief Physicians ranges between Rs 8-9 lakhs, while that of specialist surgeons ranges between Rs. 15-25 lakhs.
Specialists – Non-surgical procedures
Specialist doctors are the ones who are specialized in one field of medicine which does not include surgical procedures, like the doctors of radiology or cardiology. The annual salary of the specialists’ doctors is Rs. 20,00,000.
Heads of Departments
The head doctor who controls and oversees all the other departments of the hospital and clinic are known as heads of departments. The average salary of heads of departments in India is between Rs. 14,00,000- Rs. 45,00,000 per year.
Conclusion
There are a number of factors to be considered when determining the salary of a doctor for a particular position. This salary could differ across cities in India despite the similarity of a position and duties.
The salary paid in Bangalore or Mumbai, cities with a very high cost of living, would be 1.5x the salary paid to a doctor with similar roles in cities and small towns elsewhere.
When recruiting a doctor from another city, or even another country, you must figure out expenditures such as lodging or a stipend, as well as compensating travel costs for the last round of recruitment, when you must ask them to spend a day at your hospital and conduct in-depth interviews.
Alliance International
Alliance International is among the best recruitment agencies helping hospitals worldwide find medical talent from India and several Asian countries.
We are among the doctor recruitment agencies that can be accessed at any moment, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You won’t have to stress about locating doctors on short notice or employing locum doctors to cover gaps in your schedule.
Our doctor recruiters are there to help you make doctor staffing a more streamlined and SMART process, helping you meet all recruitment requirements. Reach out to us!
FAQ
What is the average cost per hire for a doctor?
The average cost per hire for a doctor includes recruitment expenses such as advertising, recruitment agency fees, interview costs, and onboarding. Understanding this cost helps hospitals and clinics budget effectively for staffing needs.What factors affect the average cost per hire for a doctor?
The average cost per hire for a doctor can vary depending on specialty, location, experience level, and recruitment method. Additional factors include the use of executive search firms, relocation packages, and credential verification.How can hospitals reduce the average cost per hire for a doctor?
To lower the average cost per hire for a doctor, hospitals can leverage internal HR teams, use targeted recruitment platforms, streamline interview processes, and build talent pipelines to reduce time-to-hire.Is there a difference in cost per hire between general practitioners and specialists?
Yes, the average cost per hire for a doctor tends to be higher for specialists due to their limited availability, advanced qualifications, and higher compensation expectations compared to general practitioners.Why is it important to know the average cost per hire for a doctor?
Knowing the average cost per hire for a doctor allows healthcare organizations to plan budgets, optimize recruitment strategies, and ensure that hiring investments deliver value in terms of quality and efficiency.
