Non-compete agreements have become increasingly common across the medical industry, even for new physicians and medical students transitioning into their first professional roles. But these provisions are often drafted far too broadly, and they can jeopardize a young professional’s career before it even begins.
Recently, a medical student reached out to our firm for help. She was months away from graduating, had strong family ties to central Missouri, and had just been offered her dream position with a major healthcare system that dominates the region. The offer was everything she had hoped for—except one thing: a sweeping non-compete clause that would have prevented her from practicing anywhere near her family for years if she ever quit or was fired.
Understanding the Problem: A Non-Compete That Didn’t Fit the Role
The proposed non-compete prohibited the client from working within a wide geographic radius of the hospital’s network. The restriction applied to nearly every clinical setting, despite the fact that her role would be in an urgent care—a setting where recurring patient relationships aren’t the primary model of care.
In other words, the non-compete didn’t make sense for the job. And for someone who needed to stay in the area due to long-standing family commitments, signing the provision could have meant being forced to uproot her life if she ever needed to change employers.
Our Approach: Assess, Strategize, Communicate
We met with the client to walk through:
- What non-competes are designed to protect
- When they are—and are not—enforceable
- How overly broad restrictions can harm both new professionals and the community
- Negotiation strategies tailored to medical employers
Together, we prepared a clear, respectful, and well-reasoned explanation to the recruiter and the hiring entity outlining why the proposed non-compete was not appropriate given her specific placement in urgent care and the nature of the position.
The Result: A Rare but Important Win
Healthcare employers are not always receptive to modifying non-competes, especially large systems with standardized contracts. But in this case, our client’s thoughtful, heartfelt request worked.
The hospital agreed to remove the non-compete from the offer.
It was a rare example of a major medical employer recognizing that not every role requires restrictive covenants—and that flexibility can be appropriate when a candidate is entering a non-competitive, episodic-care environment like urgent care.
Why This Matters for Future Physicians
For medical students and residents, contract terms can shape your professional future. Non-competes can affect where you live, where your family lives, and whether you’ll be able to continue practicing in your community if circumstances change.
Having an attorney who understands:
- physician employment agreements,
- healthcare operational structures, and
- the practical realities of local medical markets
can make all the difference—sometimes even turning a “take it or leave it” term into a negotiable one.
If you’re a medical student, resident, or physician with questions about a non-compete or employment contract, the attorneys at Cosgrove Simpson can help.
We regularly review agreements and negotiate terms so you can start your career on solid ground—without signing away your future options. However, sometimes a lighter touch approach is appropriate. In those situations, we are happy to discuss, educate, and arm you with the negotiation tactics to successfully advocate on your own behalf.