An on-demand webinar with a physician contract attorney on how to benchmark your pay, read the clauses that matter, and negotiate your first — or next — employment contract as an IMG physician.
IMG doctors leave money & protections on the table.
Here's what to watch for.
Panacea Financial, a division of Primis Bank, deposit products:
FDIC-Insured – Backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government
Your employment contract sets your compensation, your protections, and your options for years. Most IMG physicians sign it without benchmarking their pay or scrutinizing the clauses that matter most — visa and sponsorship terms, non-competes, bonuses, and termination language — because no one showed them how. The leverage is real, and it is highest before you sign.
25%
share of licensed U.S. physicians who are international medical graduates1
$130,000
revenue a health system loses each month a physician role sits vacant2
$38,315
average physician signing bonus in 2025, up 23% year over year3
1: American Medical Association, 2021 2: NEJM CareerCenter / Jackson Physician Search 3: AMN Healthcare
Panacea Legal Services partners with Panacea Financial Holdings to assist with administrative and consultative services. The delivery of legal services will be the exclusive responsibility of Panacea Legal Services. Panacea Legal Services does not have a relationship with Primis Bank.
This webinar is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; no attorney-client relationship is formed by attending. Physician employment contracts and the laws that govern them vary by state, employer, and individual circumstances — consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
Read your next offer like a negotiator.
Watch the on-demand webinar before you sign your next contract. Free. 45 minutes.
An on-demand session on how IMG physicians can benchmark their pay, read the contract clauses that matter most, and negotiate their employment contract. It's taught by a doctor contract attorney and closes with an offer for a free 15-minute consultation.
IMG physicians at any stage — residents, fellows, early-career attendings, and mid-career physicians — who are weighing an employment offer now or preparing for the next contract cycle.
Compensation and benchmarking, visa and sponsorship terms, non-compete and restrictive covenants, bonus and incentive structures, and termination language.
Yes. Visa and sponsorship terms often shape the entire negotiation, and the webinar covers what to look for and how those terms interact with the rest of your contract.
Because replacing a physician is expensive and slow for an employer. Lost revenue, recruitment costs, and signing bonuses add up fast. Once you know your specialty's benchmark pay and what it costs to lose you, the negotiation shifts in your favor.
A short, no-obligation contract review with Panacea Legal's team to map your next steps — whether you're evaluating an offer now or planning ahead.
No. The framework works whether you're negotiating an offer today or preparing for the next contract cycle.
Yes. It's free to watch on-demand. Registration is required.
FAQs
Jillian Vestal, JD
Leave knowing how to read an offer like a negotiator.
Jillian Vestal is a licensed attorney with a specialized focus in physician contracting. She holds an undergraduate degree in public relations from Harding University and earned her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Jillian’s professional journey includes significant roles in public and health sectors. She served in the office of former Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and worked for the state Department of Health. Her career then pivoted towards government relations for healthcare clients and, subsequently, as a staff attorney for a health system, where she was deeply involved in compliance matters, fair market analysis, and contract review, among other responsibilities.
Clauses IMG doctors should scrutinize
What to ask
before you sign
Benchmark your compensation
Why losing you is expensive
The specific questions to raise, how to raise them, and when a short professional contract review pays for itself.
What to flag before you sign: visa and sponsorship terms, non-competes and restrictive covenants, bonus structures, and termination language.
What it costs an employer to replace a physician, including lost revenue, recruitment, and signing bonuses, and why that number is your one of your biggest sources of leverage.
How to find the real market rate for your specialty and geography and see exactly where your offer sits against it.
Head of Panacea Legal, the contract review service for doctors
Built for
IMG physicians
navigating employment contracts.
Residents & Fellows approaching your first attending contract and weighing your options.
BE READY
The most negotiable moment of your career is the one you're most likely to rush.
Early-Career Attenings evaluating a new offer, a renewal, or a move.
Weighing An Offer Now or preparing for the next contract cycle.
J-1 & H-1B Physicians where visa and sponsorship terms shape the entire negotiation.
