How I Doctor

Physician Contract Lawyer: No Other Profession Has It As Bad As Doctors! Here Are the Most Insane Clauses In Doctors’ Contracts and Why Every Physician Needs to Renegotiate Them!

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Michael Johnson is an attorney and the founder of Michael Johnson Legal, a firm that works exclusively with physicians and physician groups to review contracts, negotiate fair compensation, and protect career freedom.

In this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker sits down with Michael to unpack one of the most overlooked yet high-stakes parts of practicing medicine: the employment contract. Together, they explore why doctors receive little to no training in negotiation, how “standard” contract clauses can be career-ending, and why more physicians need to challenge the status quo at the start of their careers as well as well into practice.

Michael shares insights on everything from non-competes and clawbacks to how doctors can start renegotiating even years after signing their first deal.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

  • The Hidden Dangers in Physician Contracts – Why even well-intentioned doctors sign deals that limit their freedom, income, and ability to leave.
  • How to Negotiate Like a Pro (Even as a New Grad) – Tactics and talking points you can use right now to secure better terms.
  • The Myth of the “Standard Contract” – How vague clauses around call, compensation, and termination hurt physicians—and how to spot them early.
  • Renegotiating After Years in Practice – Why it’s never too late to re-open the conversation and how doing so helps the next generation.
  • CRNAs, Hospital Takeovers, and Rural Practice Pressures – A real-world look at how physicians are fighting to stay independent in a shifting healthcare landscape.
  • Why Data Is Power – How physician-level compensation data (like what we’re building at Offcall) changes the game in contract negotiations.

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📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE

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