About the Book
Discover insights from Michael Robich, MD's comprehensive guide.
Thriving in Practice
Gain awareness for success in your first year.
A practical guide for physicians navigating the transition from training to practice
The move from medical student, resident, or fellow to attending physician is one of the most important professional transitions in medicine. It is also one of the least formally taught. While physicians spend years mastering diagnosis, treatment, procedures, and patient care, few receive structured guidance on evaluating practice opportunities, understanding compensation, negotiating contracts, or building a strong start in their first job.
The First Attending Job fills that gap.
Written for medical students, residents, fellows, and early-career physicians across specialties, this book offers a clear and accessible roadmap to the physician job search—from identifying career priorities and understanding practice models to interviewing, comparing offers, reviewing contracts, and preparing for the first year in practice.
Drawing on the experience of Michael Robich, MD—a cardiac surgeon, educator, and physician leader who has interviewed across academic and private settings and reviewed contracts from both physician and institutional perspectives—this book helps readers make thoughtful, informed decisions at a pivotal moment in their careers.
Topics include:
• Academic, private practice, hospital-employed, and hybrid practice models
• Networking, recruiters, conferences, and job search strategy
• CVs, cover letters, references, and online presence
• Interview preparation and high-yield questions to ask employers
• Compensation models, benefits, and hidden financial pitfalls
• Contract review, restrictive covenants, and when to hire a lawyer
• Credentialing, licensing, and early-career professional setup
• Burnout prevention, mentorship, and thriving in the first year
Practical, candid, and grounded in the realities of physician employment, The First Attending Job is an essential resource for any physician preparing to choose a first position—or reevaluate an early one.
About the Author
Michael Robich, MD is a cardiac surgeon, educator, and physician executive with extensive experience in physician career transitions, contracts, and practice building. He currently serves as Western Region Medical Director for Banner Health Cardiovascular Services.
Dr. Robich completed general surgery training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, and cardiothoracic surgery training at Cleveland Clinic, finishing in 2015. Over the course of his career, he has held faculty appointments at Maine Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Having interviewed for academic, private practice, and hybrid positions—and having reviewed physician agreements from both the applicant and leadership side—Dr. Robich has seen firsthand how little formal guidance physicians receive when choosing a first job. His work focuses on helping trainees and early-career physicians make smarter decisions about practice setting, contracts, compensation, mentorship, and long-term fit.
He wrote The First Attending Job to offer the practical career guidance most physicians never receive in training, but deeply need.