Michelle Caird, MD, Explores Effective Negotiation Strategies

The Women in Orthopedics Virtual Fireside Chat Series is a free monthly webinar that aims to enhance surgeons’ professional development and build community among female orthopedic surgeons. Each month, Kate Gerull, MD, and Anna N. Miller, MD, FAAOS, moderate an hour-long session featuring prominent leaders in orthopaedics speaking about a professional development topic relevant to female surgeons. The June webinar featured Michelle Caird, MD, chair of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Michigan, who discussed negotiation skills. This article highlights key discussion points from her remarks.

One underappreciated aspect of successfully negotiating for either a first job or a new job is considering the supportiveness of the prospective environment. Without a supportive environment, it is challenging to be successful, no matter how the job looks on paper. Dr. Caird remarked, “Especially if we are talking about people who are an ‘only,’ or one of a small minority, the question is really about if you will get support you need, or if you will expend much of your energy just getting to acceptance.”

During the negotiation process, applicants can elucidate whether the prospective environment is supportive by asking about what processes there are to ensure their (and everyone’s) success and to examine the fairness of department-level structures. Practices such as standardized recruitment of residents and faculty, clear job descriptions for leadership positions (including term limits), robust annual faculty evaluations with a focus on faculty development, and salaries set with a clear process are all examples of supportive structures within an organization.

When entering salary negotiations in particular, effective negotiations are centered on fairness. Applicants should understand how salary is set at the prospective job and which parts are negotiable. Many groups use benchmarking data, such as the Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Salary Report or data from the American Medical Group Association, which can give all parties in a negotiation objective parameters regarding a fair salary. Although department leaders may not have much flexibility in the starting salary range, there may be other aspects of a contract that can be adjusted.

“Your time is worth so much money. Don’t forget that your time is worth dollars, whether that is time away or time for other things or interests,” Dr. Caird said. Time as a concept could include multiple things, such as vacation days, faculty-development days, and protected research time. Retirement benefits and team resources such as physician assistants are additional non-salary adjuncts that can make a big difference on physicians’ quality of life and ability to do the work they want to do.

When negotiating for resources that you need to be successful, whether that be block time, protected research time, or participation in a professional development opportunity, it is important to consider how you frame your request. Dr. Caird advised, “If you are at a good place, it is in everyone’s interest for you to be successful. Coming back to that and centering on that [in a negotiation] is really important. In a negotiation, you need to say why something is important for your success personally, but also why your success is important for your institution.” When conceptualizing how to frame a request, take time to strategize before the negotiation to understand how your success in an endeavor can also advance the institution’s aims.

Negotiations can be stressful and nerve-wracking. Before entering a negotiation, take time to clarify your aims, refine your message, and practice your delivery. Sometimes it can feel difficult to negotiate for yourself, but envisioning negotiating on behalf of others may be helpful. Dr. Caird said, “I still have trouble negotiating for myself. I need to reframe it. Rather than negotiating for yourself, try negotiating for your family, your friend, or your department.” Changing your internal framing of why you’re negotiating can help alleviate some of the mental roadblocks. When you’re in a negotiation, create space to pause and read the room. Many successful negotiations are built upon creating opportunities for dialogue and reflection. Additionally, if you use collaborative language throughout the discussion, people will be more inclined to help you get what you need. Reading books about negotiating, seeking advice from friends and mentors about effective negotiating strategies, and coming to the negotiation prepared are all ways to make negotiations feel more comfortable.

To watch the full recording of Dr. Caird’s session, as well as view recordings from other installments in the Fireside Chat Series, click here. To stay up-to-date about future sessions, please join the listserv here.

Kate Gerull, MD, is a fourth-year resident physician at Washington University in St. Louis. She is planning to pursue a fellowship in hand and upper-extremity surgery.

Anna N. Miller, MD, FAAOS, is the Jerome J. Gilden, MD, Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. She is an orthopaedic trauma surgeon and the vice chair of faculty affairs at Washington University in St. Louis.

Upcoming Fireside Chat webinars

Please join these upcoming 2024 sessions of the Women in Orthopedics Virtual Fireside Chat Series! All sessions will take place monthly on Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. CT on Zoom.

• Sept. 17: “Building a Clinical Practice,” with Lisa Lattanza, MD, FAAOS
• Nov. 19: “Enhancing My Professional Visibility,” with Mary Mulcahey, MD, FAAOS
• Dec. 10: “Building Surgical Talent Pathways,” with Bonnie Simpson Mason, MD, FAAOS

Visit rb.gy/izfe27 or scan the QR code to register for the listserv.

AAOS IDEA Grant Program supports initiatives to foster diversity

The Women in Orthopedics Virtual Fireside Chat Series was funded through the AAOS IDEA Grant Program®, which aims to provide resources for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in orthopaedics.

To learn more about the program and other grant winners, visit aaos.org/IDEA.