Physician employment contracting
Understanding your contract and protecting your interests helps secure long-term success.
Think of your employment agreement as the blueprint for daily practice: how you’re paid, how your time is structured, what call looks like, what’s in your scope and how risk is handled. Reading it closely and asking clear questions early protects your time, income and options.
Use the resources here to review key terms, decide when to bring in an attorney and negotiate changes that support good patient care. You’ll find checklists, examples and FPM guidance to help you spot red flags, benchmark compensation and put agreements in writing so expectations are clear from day one.
Improve your contract
How to choose a lawyer for your contract review
Know what to ask when selecting legal counsel to aid your contract review.
How to review your contract
Learn key contract review steps, provisions and terms.
How to negotiate your contract
Learn the most important changes to ask for and how to negotiate successfully.
Explore member-exclusive contracting tools
Contract review checklist
Tough-to-negotiate items are common. Catch them all with an exclusive checklist.
Guide to contracts
Members can access an in-depth contracting guide with details on provisions and processes.
Make sure you’re compensated
You’ve worked hard to become a physician. Use the AAFP dashboard to ensure you are paid fairly.
How do I spot red flags in an employment contract?
Know how to recognize good employers
Spot the signs of a good employer so you know what to look for.
Know what to watch out for
Recognize the 10 red flags you should look out for when trying to navigate your way through the contracting process.
Employment contracting resources from FPM
Navigating physician employment contracts
Understand common terms, get advice about provisions and identify steps to take before signing a contract.
Ensuring your employment contract works for you
Learn how to ensure all key aspects of your employment relationship are addressed in your contract negotiations.
FPM topic collection: Negotiating and contracting
Explore employment topics from ways to hone your salary negotiation skills to key employment considerations.