A physician job interview, in some ways, can be like a first date: Both parties are offering up the best versions of themselves and highlighting their strengths. But when early-career physicians are looking for their first physician jobs after residency or fellowship training, they need more than a rosy view of a potential health care employer’s commitment to their well-being.
“One of the most important decisions you'll make early on in your career is not just which job you take, but that environment in which you choose to practice,” said Heather Farley, MD, MHCDS, the AMA’s vice president of professional satisfaction. “Look for organizations where well-being is not treated as a perk or a program on the side, but as an expectation, where it's built into the culture, the workflows and the way that leaders make decisions.”
Once you are seriously considering accepting a position with an organization, therefore, it is important to ask specific questions that can give you a deeper understanding of their commitment to tackling physician burnout and overwork, as well as letting you know how they approach mental health among their employees. Here, Dr. Farley offers 10 questions to consider asking in a job interview to find out more about an organization’s commitment to well-being.
Is your organization recognized in the AMA Joy in Medicine program?
One of the simplest starting points when investigating an organization’s approach to burnout and well-being is asking about their participation in the AMA Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Program, which creates a framework for shoring up physician well-being.
“The Joy in Medicine Program is one of the few public evidence-informed indicators that a health system is meaningfully investing in physician well-being, not just in words, but in measurable system change,” Dr. Farley said.
Through their ongoing efforts to reduce physician burnout and enhance well-being, 109 hospitals, health systems and medical groups were honored in 2025 by the Joy in Medicine Program. These organizations join a strong cohort of organizations from 2024, bringing the currently recognized total to 164 organizations, which represents 449,058 physicians.
Each health system is recognized for a two-year period for their outstanding efforts to address the systemic causes of physician burnout in six domains: assessment, commitment, efficiency of practice environment, teamwork, leadership and support.
“It doesn't mean they're perfect, but they have a commitment and are on that road to progress,” Dr. Farley noted. “If the answer is yes, that's a strong signal. If not, that doesn't automatically mean the organization isn't doing good work, but it should prompt deeper questions and discussion.”
How often do you assess physician well-being?
Health care employers cannot act on the concerns of physicians if they don’t know what those concerns are. Step one for organizations who are serious about physician well-being is regular assessments, using measurement tools validated by research. They also should incorporate listening campaigns or less formal check-ins to keep up with what physicians are experiencing.
“This transition [to practice] is a known pressure point,” Dr. Farley pointed out. “Because of that, it's critical for residents and fellows to be intentional about choosing environments that actively support their success, not just clinically but operationally and culturally, as well.”
How do you act on the data from physician well-being assessments?
If physicians have taken the time and energy to complete surveys related to well-being in an organization, you want to know that leaders there are putting the information they get to good use. Will an employer ask for your feedback but then fail to act on it? And does the organization only act when the issues are severe?
“What you're really looking for is evidence that well-being is hardwired into the culture and operations of the organization and not something that’s just a program or an add-on on the side,” Dr. Farley said.
Can you share a recent change that the organization made based on physician feedback?
A job interview is a two-way process. You will need to be prepared with examples of how you have managed complex and at-times-competing demands during residency or fellowship training. Any potential employers should also be prepared to discuss the changes they’ve enacted in more than vague terms. Seek specifics.
“The interview is your opportunity to confirm whether that commitment shows up in the day-to-day experience of practicing there,” Dr. Farley said. “We don't want to just ask whether an organization cares about well-being. How do you prove it?”
How are physicians involved in operational or improvement decisions?
For changes in a health-care organization to be effective, they must include the input of physicians who practice there. Though not every part of your workday will be flexible, you should have some autonomy. And when system-wide efforts are developed and new technologies are implemented, physicians should be involved at every stage of the process.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, research shows that physicians who feel valued and integrated into an organization are less likely to experience burnout.
“When you're evaluating a potential employer, it's important to recognize that almost every organization will say that they care about physician well-being,” Dr. Farley noted. “The real question is how can you tell if they're actually doing the work to support physician well-being?”
What resources exist for physician peer support and confidential mental health services?
Self-care only accomplishes so much, and even on the best of days, the practice of medicine is a high-stakes, high-pressure profession. Any potential employer should be prepared to discuss how struggling physicians at their organization can get help when they need it.
“Your well-being and professional fulfillment are not determined by you alone. They are profoundly shaped by the system you choose to join,” Dr. Farley said. “For far too long as a health care ecosystem, we've placed the burdens on physicians to be more resilient. But we now clearly know that burnout is not simply a failure of the individual. It's the result of a chronic mismatch between the demands of the job and the resources available to meet them.”
And though physician burnout isn’t a mental health issue, the topics are connected. It’s crucial that physicians be able to access mental health resources without fear of damaging their career or reputation.
Learn more with the AMA about confidential care to support physician health and wellness (PDF).
What does onboarding or mentorship look like for early-career physicians?
The time after residency or fellowship training can be bumpy without an organization that’s doing its best to smooth the way. An employer that realizes the importance of onboarding and mentorship is one that will reduce your chances of getting tripped up in the transition.
“During training, physicians are working incredibly hard, but within a system that is hopefully intentionally structured to support them, there’s often built in mentorship, frequent feedback, shared responsibility, and a strong sense of a peer community,” Dr. Farley said. “When you move into your first attending role, that scaffolding often falls away at the exact time that the expectations on you increase.”
What team-based support exists to help physicians flourish in their care teams?
Perhaps this should go without being said, but often it does not: Physicians have undergone years—decades, in many cases—of education and training to prepare to practice medicine. You want to know that your time will be spent mostly caring for patients in your chosen specialty, not mired in administrative tasks. You also want to ensure that they have sought ways to reduce regulatory burdens.
“Health care is fundamentally a team sport,” Dr. Farley noted.
What is staffing stability like across the entire care team?
With this question, you’re digging deeper into not just the well-being of your fellow physicians, but of everyone with whom you will be working. What is turnover like for nurses? For medical assistants? For patient-care coordinators?
“You can't fully assess the state of physician well-being in an organization without understanding the state of well-being of the entire care team,” Dr. Farley said. “If nurses and medical assistants and other care team members are understaffed, overextended, unsupported or turning over frequently, that will directly impact your workload, your efficiency, your ability to provide high quality care and ultimately your own sense of meaning and satisfaction at work.”
How do you approach workflow design so that physicians and others can focus on the work that matters most?
A health care organization’s culture will be reflected in the day-to-day experiences of those working within it. Physicians are driven by a mission to care for patients. It’s vital to know that you’ll be supported in that mission for as long as you are employed there.
“That environment that you choose will play a defining role in whether you're simply just powering through your day or you have the opportunity to truly thrive in your work,” Dr. Farley said. “The good news is we're seeing more health systems making meaningful investments in creating environments where physicians can experience not just less burnout, but more meaning, connection and joy in their work.”
If you’re searching for your first physician job after residency, get your cheat sheet from the AMA now.
