AAFP CareerLink: The best tool for finding physician jobs

Physician jobs are out there, especially in the field of family medicine. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States has a shortage of over 20,000 primary care doctors.

But that doesn’t mean that finding a job as a physician is easy.

In my role as career and practice strategist here at the AAFP, I’ve gotten the opportunity to regularly talk to family physicians about their careers, work history and job search struggles. What I hear again and again is that no two open positions are exactly the same, and that even jobs that were once great fits can evolve into a situation that isn’t right for a physician or their family. And with health system consolidation driving further shifts in the job market, being able to navigate the job market is more important than ever.

Within family medicine, one of the best ways for finding physician jobs is using AAFP CareerLink. This physician-focused online job board is designed to support your unique goals, find jobs and help you develop professionally as a physician.

How does AAFP CareerLink work?

As the job board for family physicians, AAFP CareerLink hosts job listings from employers who are actively seeking candidates. These listings can be filtered by criteria such as location, experience level, specialty and employer type. It also allows you to upload a CV, set up job alerts and track applications all in one place.

AAFP CareerLink allows you to curate results to your exact specifications. Filter results by job function (direct primary care, family medicine physician, telehealth, etc.), workplace type and more. You can also sort by location, company and posting recency, as well as search by location or within a certain geographic radius.

What is AAFP CareerLink’s advantage over other generic job sites?

National job boards, or job boards without a family medicine or medical focus, have relevant jobs. But many such job boards don’t allow you to sort and filter such specifics. AAFP CareerLink, on the other hand, is tailored to and serves a highly specific audience: family physicians. When I talk with physicians about their careers and about AAFP resources, I recommend AAFP CareerLink for three key reasons.

• Family medicine focus: AAFP CareerLink only features family medicine jobs, so there’s no need to wade through internist or pediatric jobs to get what you want.
• Specialized filters: Every job board has filters, but most job boards don’t have specialized filters like AAFP CareerLink. You can even narrow down to “Family Medicine Physician-OB” from “Family Medicine Physician” jobs.
• Direct employer access: Organizations using AAFP CareerLink understand the value of board-certified family physicians and are often seeking candidates from the AAFP community.

One other benefit of AAFP CareerLink is confidentiality. While other job boards may send your information to recruiters without your consent, AAFP CareerLink does not. You must consent before information is sent to any recruiter, making it possible to search discreetly and without recruiters bombarding your phone or email with communications.

How AAFP CareerLink helps you with career planning

As a family medicine-focused job board, AAFP CareerLink helps you find relevant physician jobs for your situation. But AAFP CareerLink also provides a variety of other helpful career planning services and information, too.

• Community intel: When reviewing job postings, you can explore information about the area: median salary, safety index, average utility costs, and public transportation. This feature can help you assess not just the role, but the community where you live and work.
• Career advice library: Access articles and guides on CV building, job interviews, leadership skills and work-life balance that are all specific to family medicine careers.
• Resume services: AAFP CareerLink offers a free CV review as well as premium services that include professionally written resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles tailored to physicians.

These added features make AAFP CareerLink more than a job board; it’s a career development hub built for AAFP members and job seekers. With its focus on family medicine, AAFP CareerLink eliminates the noise and delivers a curated list of roles that match your credentials and aspirations.

What is AAFP CareerLink’s value for new physicians?

For residents and early-career physicians, navigating the post-training job search can be overwhelming. AAFP CareerLink helps simplify that process by:

• Presenting trusted opportunities from clinics, hospitals, academic centers and health systems seeking family physicians.
• Offering application-ready tools to help you stand out in a crowded applicant pool.
• Saving time with smart alerts and pre-filled applications through your AAFP CareerLink profile.

With board certification and residency behind you, your job search should be efficient and focused. AAFP CareerLink ensures that your first step into practice is supported by a platform that understands your specialty.

AAFP CareerLink is your physician job search resource

Not all job boards are created equal, and choosing a family physician-specific job board like AAFP CareerLink can help you target the roles you want and save you time to do what matters most to you: providing health care for your patients.

Whether you're exploring your first job or preparing to relocate, join the nearly 50,000 family medicine professionals who have used AAFP CareerLink in the last year to help you find family medicine opportunities that fit your goals.

About the author

Angie Lanigan has spent the last seven years of her career at the AAFP as a project manager and subject matter expert on issues relating to career and practice. A contributing editor of the journal FPM, she is also a registered dietitian.