As a resident physician, are you thinking about where you want to build your future in medicine? Meet Saba Lodhi, MD, a pulmonology critical care specialist and a featured voice in the AMA’s “Finding My Place in Medicine” series.
In this series, physicians reflect on what influenced their decisions when choosing where to work—and what they wish they had known earlier. Explore her journey to help guide your own path toward a fulfilling medical career.
If you are looking for your first physician job after residency, get your cheat sheet now from the AMA. In addition, the AMA Transitioning to Practice series has guidance and resources on deciding where to practice, negotiating an employment contract, managing work-life balance, and other essential tips about starting in practice—including in private practice.
"Following” Dr. Saba Lodhi
Specialty: Pulmonology critical care.
Practice setting: Group.
Employment type: Employed by a group practice within Confluence Health, in Wenatchee, Washington. Confluence Health is part of the AMA Health System Member Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Years in practice: 15.
Key factors that led to me choosing to work at Confluence Health: It was a J-1 waiver opportunity close to my husband’s family. I had just lost my dad during fellowship, and it was important to me that my husband remained close to his aging parents, who lived on the West Coast.
Wenatchee promised year-round sunshine, the experience of four seasons and a place to practice cutting-edge medicine with a close-knit group of highly qualified physicians. The group had a competitive compensation model in a town with a low cost of living and was able to provide the flexibility in schedules we needed as a two-physician family.
What stood out to me during the interview and hiring process: The warmth and sincerity of the group’s mission is what set it apart. I also remember being very impressed with its vision to invest in groundbreaking technology to keep up with changing health delivery standards, despite having limitations that arise from being a smaller group. Its passion for delivering patient-centered care was very palpable and strongly aligned with my values.
How feedback from peers and mentors influenced my evaluation process: There was a lot of encouragement from peers and mentors to stay in academic medicine, preferably at my training institution, and that really made me evaluate my short- and long-term goals but ultimately did not change the outcome. It did allow me to have more clarity about the choices I was making.
The top three qualities for a great place to work for physicians: First and foremost is a collaborative and respectful culture that values strong interdisciplinary teamwork and collegial relationships, transparent communication and a shared sense of purpose in patient care.
The workplace must allow for professional growth and autonomy, offering opportunities for leadership development, continued learning and clinical innovation, and respect for physician input in decision-making and care delivery.
Lastly is support for work-life balance and well-being—valuing sustainability over short-term productivity.
How my current practice supports physician well-being and work-life balance: My organization has developed a robust, multi-dimensional approach to support physician well-being and work-life balance. We have a physician-led Provider Experience Program that promotes standardization of workflows to reduce stress; leadership development and coaching to improve provider engagement and satisfaction; peer support through retreats and collegial connection events; and EHR efficiency improvements via EPIC optimization and the KLAS Arch collaborative.
A wide array of additional resources is available to physicians, including free coaching, behavioral health support and financial incentives for wellness participation, including gym discounts, wearable device reimbursements and cash bonuses for completing health assessments.
The workplace attributes that contribute most to my job satisfaction at Confluence Health: I have derived the most satisfaction from being equipped to provide high-quality care while maintaining autonomy in practice philosophy and patient-care style. I greatly value receiving support for career advancement and leadership opportunities and having a culture that supports physician well-being and work-life balance.
I tell people I’m never retiring. This doesn’t feel like work anymore—rather, it’s an integral and very fulfilling part of my life.
The biggest challenges I faced when transitioning from residency to practice: I felt that going through fellowship after residency was pivotal in ensuring preparedness for clinical and professional challenges, like decision-making autonomy and time management.
But transitioning to practice certainly felt like a leap into uncertainty, from the process of reviewing and negotiating contracts to understanding billing and coding, as well as navigating efficiency, clinical relevance and administrative requirements within electronic health records and balancing quality care with volume expectations.
What I wish I had known about evaluating a job offer before choosing my first position: I wish I had a better understanding of how the various elements of job offers contribute to longevity and satisfaction in our careers and our lives. I likely spent a disproportionate amount of time looking at compensation, benefits, workload and scheduling at the expense of evaluating scope of practice, opportunities for career development, and lifestyle and location.
What I would have done differently when choosing my first job after residency: I would have given myself more time. The way I evaluated offers was blinded by urgency and focused mainly on numbers: the base salary, compensation model and signing bonus. Those are tangible, easy to compare and tempting after years of modest residency/fellowship pay, but what I didn’t weigh as carefully was the switch from academics to private practice, how it altered my scope of practice and how it contributed to my five- and 10-year goals.
