Find your next physician role in the U.S. or Canada
Explore clinical and leadership opportunities close to home or in a new community. Whether you want a different practice setting, a more predictable schedule or a step into leadership, we'll help you understand the role before you decide to move.
What we do
Physician recruitment.
Permanent physician hires in family medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine and the specialties, including the rural and remote roles most firms decline. Retained search, contingency search (you pay only when a physician is placed) and international recruitment. We don't do locum or interim staffing.
Physician executive search.
Chiefs of staff, medical directors, department and service-line chiefs, VPs of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officers, in Canada and the US. Physician executive placements include six months of external executive coaching, starting at selection.
Read more at averyprofessionalgroup.comInternational recruitment.
We recruit physicians from the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand as well as from across North America, and we guide them and your team through credentialing, licensing and relocation to Canada or the US, working with global relocation specialists.
Who we work with
We recruit for community and rural hospitals, including critical access hospitals; regional and academic health centers; Federally Qualified Health Centers and community health centers; and outpatient clinics and physician groups. We work in every Canadian province and territory, with particular depth in Ontario, and across the United States, especially the Eastern US. We also recruit nurse practitioners, physician assistants and CRNAs for the clients we serve.
Why hospitals use DocFinder
Kevin Kirkpatrick has 22 years of experience recruiting for clinical and executive roles in healthcare. Much of it was spent inside hospitals: he ran physician recruitment and workforce planning at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, St. Michael's Hospital and Humber River Hospital, and reported physician workforce risks to a Medical Advisory Committee and a Board. So we recruit the way the hospital side needs it done: start with the problem the role has to solve, and look for the physician who will still be there in three years.
We keep the volume low on purpose, at 18 to 24 physician and physician leader placements a year, and Kevin is personally involved in every search.
How a search works
Discovery.
We start with the need and the problems the role has to solve, and define the role from there rather than recycling an old job description: call schedule, practice model, team support and community.
Sourcing and outreach.
We reach out directly and through relationships, not just a database or a posting. Candidates come from Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Assessment and presentation.
A structured selection and assessment process, with modern tools in the hands of experienced people. You see a short list of physicians who fit the role and the community.
Negotiation, onboarding and retention.
We help close the offer, work through licensing and relocation, and stay in touch after the start date.
Every physician and physician executive placement carries a 12-month replacement guarantee.
Fees
Retained search: a retainer at engagement, a progress payment at short-list, and a completion fee at start. Contingency search: a single fee, paid only when a physician starts. International recruitment: a flat fee that covers sourcing, assessment, licensing guidance and relocation coordination. All fees are quoted in writing before a search begins.
For physicians
If you are a physician considering a move — whether across town or across a border — we can help you understand what is actually available, what the role involves and what the community is like before you decide to pursue it.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with physicians who are looking for a new role?
Yes. We work with physicians who are considering a move — whether to a different practice setting, a different community or a different country. We can help you understand what is available and what a role actually involves before you decide to pursue it. There is no fee to physicians.
What specialties do you recruit?
Family medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine and the specialties, including rural and remote roles. We also recruit physician executives — chiefs of staff, medical directors, VPs of Medical Affairs and CMOs — and advanced practice providers (NPs, PAs and CRNAs) for the hospitals and health systems we serve.
Do you recruit across the Canada–US border?
Yes. We recruit physicians from Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and we guide physicians and employers through licensing, credentialing and relocation across the border.
What is the difference between retained and contingency search?
In a retained search, the hospital pays a retainer at engagement, a progress payment at short-list and a completion fee when the physician starts. In a contingency search, there is no upfront cost — a single fee is paid only when a physician is placed. Retained search is appropriate for harder-to-fill roles and physician executive searches.
How long does a physician search take?
Most permanent physician searches take three to six months from engagement to start date, depending on the specialty, location and licensing requirements. Physician executive searches typically take four to six months.
Do you do locum or interim staffing?
No. We focus exclusively on permanent physician and physician executive placements.
What is the placement guarantee?
Every physician and physician executive placement carries a 12-month replacement guarantee. If the physician leaves within 12 months of their start date for any reason other than a change in the role, we will conduct a replacement search at no additional fee.
How do I get started?
Contact Kevin Kirkpatrick directly by phone or email. We will schedule a call to discuss your vacancy or your search, and provide a written proposal before any work begins.
Talk to Kevin
Kevin Kirkpatrick, Founder, Avery Professional Group
kevin@docfinder.ca · 905-447-2151
Bowmanville, Ontario · Canada and the United States