As a physician recruiter, you know that lifestyle is one of the single-most important factors physicians take into account when considering an employment opportunity. Hospital environments may vary across the country, but generally, the general setting will be somewhat the same: exam tables, staff duties, and so on. But it’s what’s available beyond the hospital in the town and surrounding areas that can often make or break a physician’s decision.

Some communities are easier to sell than others, but every community has its strengths. Here are a few things to keep in mind when selling your community.

The Great Outdoors

If your physician job opportunity is in a place like Oregon, which sometimes gets a bad rap for all the rain, there are plenty of other positives you can mention. What’s a little rain when there are mountains to climb, cycling trails to explore, and river rafting to try? The landscape of Oregon is incredibly diverse, from the windswept Pacific coastline to volcano-studded mountains, dense forests and a high desert in the east. In the face of that kind of majesty, most nature buffs won’t bat an eye at a bit of mist.

Or, let’s say the physician job is in Nebraska, a state some physician recruiters find hard to sell. The state’s tourism site says, “Nebraska is a place with plenty of room to wander,” and nature lovers will find lots to explore in Toadstool Geologic Park and the Calamus Reservoir.

In short, wherever your hospital is located, there’s bound to be something beautiful to see. Be sure to have a list at the ready for those calls with nature-loving physician candidates.

A Family-Oriented Community

A community that has a low crime rate and is safe and nurturing for kids can be a huge draw for physicians looking to settle down (especially if they have family nearby). Often, physicians who have kids will eschew city lights, clubs, and an endless array of entertainment in favor of a welcoming town with great schools, where the family can establish bonds within the community.

On a related note, our business, Physicians Employment, is headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa, a town of 10,000. We’ve raised healthy, happy kids here and can vouch for the value of smalltown living! There’s a certain warmth that comes from being on a first-name basis with many of the people in your community, and that’s exactly what some physicians are looking for.

Lower Cost of Living

If the physician job you’re recruiting for is not in one of the top U.S. cities, chances are your city has a lower cost of living. This can be a powerful closing factor when it comes to “selling” your city. Physicians raising a family have an expensive little investment (or two, or three) riding around in their Lexuses! They’re looking at a few decades of heavy payments on everything from day-to-day care to orthodontia, a college fund, and maybe even a sports car for the straight-A high school grad.

Even if a physician hasn’t started a family, he or she may have significant debt to pay off from their education. You may also have a traveler on your hands, the kind of physician who enjoys jaunts around the world during time off.

There are plenty of reasons that low cost of living will appeal to a physician, so be sure to play that up if it’s a fact in your community.

Cultural Amenities

Let’s face it: we can’t all be New York City. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do in smaller-sized towns. There are plenty of cities across the nation doing amazing things in theatre, like Houston, Texas; Sherpherdstown, West Virginia; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Charleston, South Carolina; and Williamstown, Massachusetts, to name a few.

Even if your physician job opportunity is not in one of the biggest cultural hubs, small towns can sometimes host some of the nation’s hidden gems in terms of theatre, music, and restaurants. Does the community have some best-kept cultural secrets? Make them a secret no more! Does the town have a strong focus on local agriculture and clean living? That’s certainly a point of interest worth sharing! Whatever makes that town special, be sure to dial in on it.

Be Your City’s Biggest Fan

Of course, if you live in the city itself and are a big fan of it and the surrounding area, it shouldn’t be too hard a sell for you! On that note, personal anecdotes can go a long way towards a convincing argument for your community’s merits.