Remember that scene from Jerry McGuire when the star football recruit's dad shook Jerry's hand, promising that his son was Jerry's newest client, and refused to sign a written contract because his word was "stronger than oak"? While that sentiment was charming, we all know Jerry suffered a major lapse in judgment in letting that one go.
It's common for dealmakers to talk a good game, and even though they may not be doing so maliciously, or with any harmful intent, it's just that it's easier to make verbal promises, than to go through the hassle of putting it on paper. In the world of physician employment contract negotiations, this is also a common occurrence. Many physicians will find themselves assured by the word of a potential employer that certain benefits will, in fact, be given in an employment arrangement. However, when you go to read the contract, there's no trace of those 5 extra vacation days that you were promised. The employer may have sworn up and down that those 5 extra days were a shoe-in, but unless it's spelled out in your physician employment contract, you can't count on it.
Another alarming example is when a term may even be in writing, but it's inconsistent. For instance, what if your salary is written in the contract to be "Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($150,000)." What if the employer told you in an interview that the salary is $200,000, but now there is an inconsistency in the actual agreement? Which version of this number is controlling?
Examples such as these make it easy to see the importance of physician employment contract legal reviews. You must be certain that every feature you have come to expect from your physician employment arrangement is set out in writing, so that if push ever comes to shove, you have a signed, written agreement, with the terms you want clearly spelled out.