Contract & Benefits

Physician Recruitment Process and Compensation Overview

A Compensation Package Built on Real Performance

Unlike many physician opportunities that promise ambitious earning potential based on optimistic projections, this position offers something refreshingly concrete: Dr. Ludwick, the physician whose practice you'll be inheriting, is on track to earn approximately $350,000 this year. This isn't theoretical—it's actual performance from the very patient panel you'll be assuming. The practice is established, busy, and consistently productive. Your compensation package reflects this reality while providing you generous upfront financial support and security to succeed from day one.

Exceptional First-Year Earning Potential

You're guaranteed over $300,000 in your first year before you even consider productivity bonuses, with realistic potential to exceed $350,000 based on the established practice volume you're inheriting. This isn’t a lowball base salary with pie-in-the-sky bonus potential—this is substantial, front-loaded compensation that recognizes both your value and the rare opportunity to take over an already-thriving practice.

Base Compensation: $265,000 Annually

Your base salary of $265,000 provides substantial financial stability as you establish yourself in the community. Unlike productivity-only models that create financial stress, this guaranteed base allows you to focus on building relationships and providing excellent medicine from day one.

  • Base Salary: $265,000 annually
  • Payment Schedule: Bi-weekly or semi-monthly (based on hospital payroll structure)

Signing Bonus: $24,000

Dorminy Medical Center offers a $24,000 signing bonus to support your relocation and transition. This upfront payment demonstrates the organization’s commitment to your success.

  • Signing Bonus: $24,000 paid upon contract execution and successful start date
  • Commitment Period: Tied to initial contract term (twelve months)

Annual Retention Bonuses: $12,000 Per Year

For your first two years, you'll receive a $12,000 retention bonus at the end of each contract year—an additional $24,000 total. These bonuses reward your commitment and stability.

  • Annual Retention Bonus: $12,000 per year for first two years (total $24,000)
  • Payment Timing: End of each contract year
  • Eligibility: Requires active employment in good standing

First-Year Total Compensation: $340,000 Guaranteed Minimum

  • Base Salary: $265,000
  • Signing Bonus: $24,000
  • Year 1 Retention Bonus: $12,000
  • Total Guaranteed First Year: $301,000

This guaranteed $301,000 equates to a lifestyle equivalent to $400,000+ in a metropolitan area due to rural Georgia’s significantly lower cost of living.

Productivity Bonuses: Real Earning Potential Beyond Base

The compensation model uses a $45 per work RVU multiplier applied to production above your threshold. Dr. Ludwick’s historical productivity translates to approximately $370,000 annually under this structure. With his established panel, you’ll reach similar performance quickly.

  • RVU Multiplier: $45 per work RVU above threshold
  • Bonus Frequency: Quarterly
  • Realistic Potential: $350,000+ in total first-year compensation

This model rewards productivity without creating pressure to compromise care quality—your base salary provides stability while bonuses reward efficiency.

Comprehensive Benefits Package

Beyond salary, your benefits are designed to support your health, financial security, and work-life balance.

Health and Wellness Benefits

  • Medical Insurance: Comprehensive coverage with multiple plan options
  • Dental Insurance: Preventive, basic, and major services
  • Vision Insurance: Exams, frames, and lenses
  • Life Insurance: Employer-provided with optional additional coverage
  • Disability Insurance: Short-term and long-term coverage

Financial and Retirement Benefits

  • 401(k) Retirement Plan: Employer contribution/match
  • Malpractice Insurance: Full coverage (occurrence-based, includes tail)
  • CME Allowance: Annual budget for education, travel, and lodging
  • License & Dues: Georgia license, DEA, and professional memberships covered
  • Signing Bonus: $24,000 + $10,000 relocation support
  • Retention Bonuses: $12,000 annually for first two years

Time Off and Work-Life Balance

  • Paid Time Off: 256 hours (6.2 weeks)
  • Admin Time: Dedicated administrative half-day or full day weekly
  • No Call Coverage: No mandatory after-hours or weekend call

Relocation and Transition Support

  • Relocation Assistance: $10,000 for moving expenses
  • Temporary Housing: Assistance with short-term accommodations
  • Community Integration: Support from Chamber of Commerce and hospital leadership
  • Spousal Employment: Assistance with local professional connections

The Hidden Value Proposition: Cost of Living Advantage

Your purchasing power in Fitzgerald far exceeds that of urban markets. A $301,000 guaranteed salary here equals the lifestyle of a $475,000–$500,000 income in metropolitan areas.

  • Housing: 3,000+ sq ft home for $300K–$400K vs. $700K–$1M+ in cities
  • Daily Expenses: 20–35% lower across essentials
  • Commute Costs: 7-minute drive vs. urban commutes and parking expenses
  • Taxes: Lower property taxes and overall costs

The Unique Value of Inheriting an Established Practice

Unlike typical new recruits, you’ll skip the 2–3 year ramp-up. Patients are already scheduled out a month, and the community is eager to continue their care. You’ll step directly into immediate productivity and earning potential.

Additional Earning Opportunities

Optional hospitalist shifts offer additional income and the chance to build your practice further. These 12-hour shifts covering med/surg and ICU units are voluntary but financially rewarding and professionally enriching.

Supervisory Stipend Potential

If you supervise future mid-level providers, you'll earn additional supervisory stipends, typically several thousand dollars annually depending on scope and number of supervisees.

Long-Term Financial Security and Growth

This practice offers stable, long-term earning potential with clear paths for growth. Your compensation can grow through:

  • Annual base salary increases
  • Increased productivity and efficiency
  • Retention bonuses and supervisory stipends
  • Optional hospital shifts
  • Market-based adjustments

Within two years, you could realistically earn $370,000–$400,000+ annually.

The Investment in You

This package—$265,000 base + $24,000 signing bonus + $12,000 annual bonuses + productivity potential—reflects Dorminy’s deep commitment to attracting the right physician. As a not-for-profit community hospital, Dorminy measures success by community health outcomes and physician satisfaction, not shareholder profits.

Financial Planning Considerations

  • Purchase a beautiful home in Fitzgerald’s best neighborhoods
  • Build savings and emergency funds quickly
  • Maximize 401(k) contributions
  • Pay down student loans efficiently
  • Save for children’s education through 529 plans
  • Achieve financial independence faster due to low cost of living

This opportunity combines financial strength and personal fulfillment—a rare blend in modern medicine. You’ll earn well, live comfortably, save efficiently, and enjoy a quality of life your urban colleagues can only envy.

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