Urgent Care in Southern California

[wrathofthemath]

Recent grad here, and I filled a lot -- and I do mean a lot -- of my clinical year with emergency medicine and urgent care rotations. I would feel comfortable as the sole on-site provider, and I believe I can hit the ground running. With that being said, I had my first interview today, and everything was going good: $42/hr with guaranteed four 10-hour shifts weekly, and that equates to $86k/yr with two weeks of vacation. But then the dreaded words "1099" were spoken. I have heard horror stories with being an independent contractor (e.g., paying tax quarterly; paying tax up to and exceeding 40-percent; etc.) and the doc stopped speaking when she saw my jaw drop. We did not go into a salary renegotiation right then -- after all it was my first time meeting the team (all of whom I liked) and I figured I could inquire about bennies and counter-offer at a later time (i.e., tomorrow). I will contact the office manager and see what bennies are included (if anything) and also I think I will counter with $55/hr with hopes they settle on $50/hr -- at even a 1099 rate of rate of $100k/yr (i.e., $60k after taxes) I don't think I'd push for health, vision, dental, 401k, CME, DEA, etc.

 

Thoughts?

 

The doc seems great. She is offering 100-percent chart review with feedback for the first year and is on-site nearly 100-percent of the time right across the hall. This interview experience was good because I instantly became aware of "things" I could have done better, but overall I believe there is an overwhelming majority of a chance that I will be hired. Before all details are known on the doc's part, I will pretty much have to pack up my life and move 50 miles west because there is no way I am making a 60-mile-one-way trek four times each week, and -- again, knowing I can hit the ground running with minimum oversight -- I think that it would be worth it on their part to "pay up."

 

Thanks for reading, and please offer any and all advice (my loans come due soon and I know a bird in the hand is...well, however that saying goes...but as it stands I just can't see myself clearing < $900/wk s/p tax -- as the current offer would suggest). I am stoked that I even have a job offer, but I think I would being doing a disservice to take it (especially in an area with such a high cost of living). Thanks again for your feedback.

[rev ronin]

Consult a tax attorney. It's probably not legal for them to make you a 1099 employee if you're being directly supervised like that. But I'm not a tax attorney...

[cbrsmurf]

You seem overconfident. Hard for me to imagine a new grad in any speciality (esp urgent/emergency) to safely practice without another provider to help.

[wrathofthemath]

@ rev ronin: Thank you -- will do.

 

@cbrsmurf: I have quite a bit of HCE so sorry you feel that way. As I said, the doc will be across the hall and while not "on-site," (i.e., in the suite), I can't imagine being more supervised.

 

Thank you both for your input.

[SpikeDaCat]

I need to renegotiate pay for an UC in Utah. They offered $39, and I want at least $45-48. I'm feeling a little nervous about countering at $6-9 above their offer in case they walk away. Sounds like you're going to counter at $13 above, which in my mind is a lot. I might go for more on my contract if I knew that it wouldn't blow the deal. Might be a few days before I counter (still waiting for the handbook that explains benefits and raises), so let me know how this works out for you.