Surgical job negotiations: How current literature and expert opinion can inform your strategies

Background: Negotiation is an essential professional skill. Surgeons negotiating new roles must consider: 1) career level (e.g., new graduate, mid-career or leadership), 2) practice environment (e.g., academic, private practice), 3) organization (e.g., academic, university-affiliated, specialized center), and 4) work-life needs (e.g., geography, joint recruitment). Methods: A review of the literature related to surgical job negotiation was conducted. Expert opinion was also sought. Results: Current data and experience suggest that negotiation must be tailored to practice type, surgeon experience/skill set and should always occur with the advice of legal counsel. Understanding principled negotiation and engaging in preparation and practice will also improve negotiation skills. Conclusions: Our findings shed light on common blind spots among surgeons negotiating new professional roles and provide guidance on optimizing job negotiation skills.