Why Academic Physicians Must Negotiate Beyond Salary

My First Negotiation as a Faculty Member

When I think back to my very first negotiation as a new faculty member, I can still feel the nerves. I had just been offered an academic position, and everyone told me the same thing: women don’t negotiate—but you must.

So I did what I thought negotiation was supposed to be about: I negotiated my salary.

The offer I received came in low—much lower than I had hoped—but I pushed back. Although I did get an increase, the anchor was so low that, even with the raise, my salary still wasn’t where it should have been. And as proud as I was for negotiating at all, I walked away disappointed.

What I Overlooked

What I didn’t realize until much later was that I had focused on only one piece of the puzzle. By narrowing in on salary, I completely missed the chance to negotiate for what would have mattered even more: resources to help me succeed.

For example, I didn’t negotiate for administrative support. That meant I spent hours on clerical tasks—time that pulled me away from patient care, research, and teaching. In a sense, my “higher” salary was actually much lower when you factored in the lost value of doing work someone else could (and should) have done.

Negotiation Is About More Than Money

That experience changed the way I think about negotiation. Today, when I coach academic physicians, I emphasize this lesson: your ability to thrive depends on more than salary.

Yes, compensation matters. But so do the supports, structures, and resources that allow you to be productive, to grow, and to balance your professional and personal life. If you negotiate for money but not for what you need to flourish, you’re still leaving value on the table.

Negotiation Must Consider the Whole-Person Perspective

As academic physicians, we are whole people. No matter how many grants, publications, or titles we collect, success in one area will always feel hollow if the rest of our lives are out of balance. That’s why negotiation should never be about a single number. It’s about shaping the environment that allows us to succeed—at work and in life.

A Blog Series on Ten Essential Negotiations

In my upcoming blog series, I’ll walk you through ten essential negotiations every academic physician should master. These aren’t only about getting “more.” They’re about aligning your professional commitments with your long-term success and well-being.

Up next: we’ll dive into the first negotiation and why it matters for your career.

Reflection Questions

• When you think back to your first (or most recent) negotiation, what did you focus on most?

• What resources, supports, or structures could you have included that would have made your work easier and more productive?

• How might you approach your next negotiation differently, knowing that salary is only one part of the equation?