Healthcare Recruiting Glossary

Plain-English definitions of 52+ terms used across physician, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant recruiting — from credentialing and wRVUs to J-1 waivers, restrictive covenants, MGMA benchmarks, and full practice authority. Built and maintained by the recruiting team at MedicalRecruiting.com.

Recruiting

A search technique using AND, OR, and NOT operators to filter candidate databases (e.g., LinkedIn, Doximity) for specific combinations of credentials, location, and experience.
Contingency Recruiting
A recruiting fee model in which the recruiter is paid only if a candidate they introduce is hired. No upfront retainer is required. Most healthcare recruiting in the US is contingency-based.
Direct Sourcing
A recruiting strategy in which the recruiter proactively identifies and contacts passive candidates (those not actively job-searching) rather than waiting for inbound applications. Most physician searches succeed via direct sourcing.
Passive Candidate
A clinician who is currently employed and not actively applying to jobs but who would consider a new role for the right opportunity. Passive candidates make up the majority of placed physicians.
Permanent Placement
A direct-hire recruiting model in which the candidate becomes a W-2 employee of the hiring organization. The recruiter is paid a one-time placement fee billed only on a successful start and the employer owns the long-term employment relationship.
Reference Check
Verification of a candidate's prior performance and conduct through structured interviews with former supervisors, partners, or peers. Standard practice before extending a physician offer.
Replacement Guarantee
A clause in a recruiting agreement requiring the recruiter to find a replacement candidate at no additional fee if the placed candidate leaves within a defined window. Industry standard is 60–90 days; MedicalRecruiting.com provides a 180-day guarantee.
A recruiting engagement in which the employer pays a portion of the fee upfront (typically 1/3 at engagement, 1/3 at shortlist, 1/3 at placement) in exchange for exclusivity and a guaranteed search effort. Common for executive, hard-to-fill, or confidential physician searches.
Time-to-Fill
The number of days from when a search is launched to when a candidate signs an offer letter. Average physician time-to-fill is 90–120 days; specialized recruiters often deliver in 45–75 days.

Credentialing

Board Certified
A physician who has passed the certifying examination of an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member board (e.g., American Board of Family Medicine). Board certification is voluntary but increasingly required by employers and payers.
Board Eligible
A physician who has completed an accredited residency in a specialty but has not yet passed the board certification exam. Many employers will hire board-eligible physicians with the expectation they will achieve certification within a defined timeframe.
CME
Continuing Medical Education — required ongoing education for physicians and APPs to maintain licensure and board certification. State requirements vary; most physicians need 50 hours per year.
COMLEX (COMLEX-USA)
Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination — the licensure exam for DO physicians, equivalent to USMLE for MDs.
Credentialing
The formal verification process in which a hospital or payer confirms a clinician's education, training, board certification, licensure, work history, malpractice history, and references. Credentialing typically takes 60–120 days and is required before a clinician can see patients or bill insurance.
Medical Staff Bylaws
The formal rules governing membership and conduct on a hospital's medical staff. Bylaws define application requirements, peer review, fair-hearing rights, and grounds for revocation of privileges.
NCLEX-RN
National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses — the standardized exam all US RNs must pass to obtain state licensure.
NPI Number (NPI)
National Provider Identifier — a unique 10-digit number assigned to every healthcare provider in the United States by CMS. Required for all insurance billing.
PANCE
Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination — the certification exam administered by the NCCPA that all PAs must pass to practice. Must be recertified every 10 years.
Privileging
The process by which a hospital grants a clinician permission to perform specific procedures or treat specific conditions, based on documented training and competency. Privileging happens after credentialing.
USMLE
United States Medical Licensing Examination — the three-step exam sequence (Step 1, Step 2 CK, Step 3) required for MD licensure in the US.

Clinical

Advanced Practice Provider (APP)
An umbrella term for non-physician clinicians authorized to diagnose and treat patients, including nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified nurse midwives (CNMs).
Attending Physician
A fully licensed physician who has completed residency (and any fellowship) and is responsible for the overall care of patients. Attendings supervise residents and fellows in teaching hospitals.
CRNA
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist — an APRN with specialized training (3+ years post-RN) in anesthesia administration. CRNAs are among the highest-paid APPs, with national median salaries above $200,000.
Fellowship
Subspecialty training (typically 1–3 years) completed after residency. Fellowship training is required for subspecialties like cardiology, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, and surgical subspecialties.
Hospitalist
A physician (typically internal or family medicine trained) whose clinical focus is the care of hospitalized patients. Hospitalists work shift-based schedules (often 7-on/7-off) and do not maintain an outpatient practice.
Intensivist
A physician with subspecialty training in critical care medicine who manages patients in the ICU. Intensivists typically complete a 1–3 year critical care fellowship after a primary residency in internal medicine, anesthesiology, surgery, or emergency medicine.
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with a master's or doctoral degree who provides primary, acute, or specialty care. NPs are licensed at the state level and may have full, reduced, or restricted practice authority depending on state law.
Physician Assistant (PA-C)
A nationally certified, state-licensed clinician who practices medicine in collaboration with physicians. PAs are trained in the medical model, complete a 27-month average graduate program, and pass the PANCE certification exam. Scope of practice varies by state.
Residency
Postgraduate clinical training (3–7 years depending on specialty) required after medical school for a physician to practice independently. Residency programs are accredited by the ACGME (allopathic) or AOA (osteopathic).

Compensation

Loan Repayment
Employer or government program that pays down a clinician's medical or nursing school loans, often in exchange for a service commitment. Common in rural, underserved, and federal employment settings.
MGMA Benchmarks
Compensation and productivity data published annually by the Medical Group Management Association. MGMA percentiles (25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) are the most widely used benchmark for physician and APP compensation in the US.
Quality Bonus
Variable compensation tied to clinical quality metrics (HEDIS measures, patient satisfaction, readmission rates). Increasingly common as healthcare moves to value-based payment.
RVU-Based Compensation
A production-based pay model in which a clinician's earnings are tied to the work RVUs they generate. Common in hospital-employed and large-group physician contracts.
Signing Bonus
A one-time payment made to a clinician upon contract signing, typically tied to a service commitment (e.g., 2–3 years). Average physician signing bonus is approximately $38,000; average NP/PA signing bonus is approximately $13,000 (AMN Healthcare 2025).
Vacancy Cost
The lost revenue and downstream financial impact of an unfilled clinical position. Industry estimates put physician vacancy cost at $150,000+ per month in lost revenue, depending on specialty and patient volume.
wRVU
Work Relative Value Unit — a measure of the time, skill, and effort a physician spends on a service. Many production-based compensation models pay a dollar amount per wRVU (typically $40–$80 depending on specialty).

Employment

Critical Access Hospital (CAH)
A small rural hospital (25 beds or fewer) designated by CMS to receive cost-based Medicare reimbursement. CAH employment often qualifies for rural recruiting incentives.
Employed Physician Model
A practice model in which physicians are W-2 employees of a hospital, health system, or large group rather than partners in a private practice. The dominant US physician employment model since 2018.
FQHC
Federally Qualified Health Center — a community-based safety-net clinic that receives federal funding to serve medically underserved populations. FQHC employment qualifies clinicians for federal loan repayment programs.
H-1B Visa
A non-immigrant work visa commonly used by US healthcare employers to sponsor foreign-trained physicians. H-1B requires employer sponsorship and is subject to annual caps.
Independent Contractor
A clinician engaged on a 1099 basis (rather than W-2 employee). Common for locum tenens, telemedicine, and per-diem work. Contractors are responsible for their own taxes, benefits, and often malpractice.
J-1 Waiver
A waiver of the J-1 visa two-year home-country residence requirement, allowing international medical graduates (IMGs) to remain in the US after residency. Common pathway is the Conrad 30 program, which places IMGs in medically underserved areas in exchange for the waiver.
Locum Tenens
A Latin phrase meaning "to hold the place of." In healthcare, locum tenens refers to physicians, NPs, or PAs who temporarily fill staffing gaps — typically for days, weeks, or months — at hospitals or clinics. Locum providers are usually independent contractors paid an hourly or daily rate, with malpractice and travel often covered by the staffing firm.
Private Practice
A physician-owned medical practice operating independently of a hospital or health system. Includes solo, group, and multispecialty practices.
Restrictive Covenant
A non-compete clause in an employment agreement that limits a clinician's ability to practice within a defined geographic radius for a defined period after termination. Enforceability varies by state.
Tail Coverage
Malpractice insurance that covers claims filed after a clinician leaves a position for incidents that occurred during employment. Required when transitioning between claims-made malpractice policies — often a major negotiation point in physician contracts.

Regulatory

Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA)
A written agreement between a nurse practitioner or physician assistant and a supervising physician that defines the APP's scope of practice, prescriptive authority, and chart-review requirements. Required in reduced-practice and restricted-practice states.
DEA Registration (DEA)
Drug Enforcement Administration registration is required for any clinician (MD, DO, NP, PA) who prescribes controlled substances. DEA numbers are state-specific and must be transferred when relocating.
Full Practice Authority (FPA)
A state-level designation under which nurse practitioners may evaluate patients, diagnose, order tests, and prescribe — including controlled substances — without physician supervision or a collaborative practice agreement. As of 2026, more than 27 states grant NPs full practice authority.
Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)
A geographic area, population group, or facility designated by HRSA as having a shortage of primary care, dental, or mental health providers. HPSA designation unlocks loan repayment, J-1 waivers, and Medicare bonus payments.
Physician Shortage
The projected gap between physician supply and patient demand. The AAMC projects a US physician shortage of 86,000 to 124,000 physicians by 2036, most acute in primary care and rural settings.
Stark Law
Federal law that prohibits physicians from referring Medicare patients to entities with which they have a financial relationship, except under specific exceptions. Compliance is critical when structuring physician compensation tied to referrals or ancillary services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does locum tenens mean?

Locum tenens is a Latin phrase meaning "to hold the place of." In healthcare, locum tenens refers to physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants who temporarily fill staffing gaps — for days, weeks, or months — at hospitals or clinics. Locum providers are typically independent contractors paid an hourly or daily rate, with malpractice and travel often covered by the staffing firm.

What is the difference between credentialing and privileging?

Credentialing is the formal verification of a clinician's education, training, board certification, licensure, work history, and references. Privileging happens after credentialing — it is the process by which a hospital grants the clinician permission to perform specific procedures or treat specific conditions, based on documented training and competency.

What is a wRVU?

wRVU stands for Work Relative Value Unit — a measure of the time, skill, and effort a physician spends on a clinical service. Many production-based physician compensation models pay a dollar amount per wRVU, typically in the $40–$80 range depending on specialty.

What is a J-1 waiver in physician employment?

A J-1 waiver is a waiver of the J-1 visa two-year home-country residence requirement, allowing international medical graduates (IMGs) to remain in the United States after residency. The most common pathway is the Conrad 30 program, which places IMGs in medically underserved areas in exchange for the waiver.

What is full practice authority for nurse practitioners?

Full Practice Authority (FPA) is a state-level designation under which nurse practitioners may evaluate patients, diagnose, order tests, and prescribe — including controlled substances — without physician supervision or a collaborative practice agreement. As of 2026, more than 27 states grant NPs full practice authority.

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