Contracts

Reading a first attending contract.

Three clauses that matter more than the salary line, and what to actually check before you sign.

Restrictive covenants

Most contracts include a non-compete: a radius (often 5–25 miles from your primary work site) and a time limit (commonly one to two years) on practicing nearby if you leave. Some states restrict or ban these outright for physicians, so it's worth checking your state's current rule before treating the clause as fixed. Where they're enforceable, the radius and the definition of "primary work site" matter more than people expect — a covenant tied to every location in a multi-site system is a very different commitment than one tied to a single clinic.

Tail coverage

If your malpractice policy is claims-made rather than occurrence-based, you need tail coverage to stay protected for incidents that happened while you worked there but get reported after you leave. The contract should say plainly who pays for it — you, the employer, or a split — because tail policies can run tens of thousands of dollars. If the contract is silent on this, ask directly before signing.

Productivity bonuses

A bonus tied to wRVUs or collections looks like upside until you check the formula. Look for: the per-RVU conversion rate, whether it's benchmarked to a specific percentile of a national survey, how often the target resets, and whether unmet base-salary guarantees get clawed back against future bonus. Two offers with the same base salary can pay very differently once the bonus mechanics are compared side by side.