Primary Care in Oregon | $286,416 Guaranteed Salary, 2–5% Annual Raises & 4-Day Clinic Week

If you entered family medicine to build genuine, lifelong relationships with your patients—rather than running on a high-volume corporate treadmill—Sky Lakes Medical Center was built for you.

As a new physician, where you start your career shapes the doctor you become. At Sky Lakes, an independent, community-owned teaching hospital, we believe primary care thrives only when clinicians are supported, valued, and given the breathing room to practice medicine with empathy and autonomy. Here, you won't be just a provider code in a distant corporate network. You’ll join a mission-driven medical community that honors your well-being, prioritizes physician longevity, and surrounds you with the mentorship and stability you need to thrive.

Why New Graduates Choose Sky Lakes: Culture, Values & Autonomy

• Recognized for Provider Well-Being: Sky Lakes is an AMA Joy in Medicine Bronze-recognized organization (2026–2027) and an ISO 9001-certified system. We do not just talk about avoiding burnout—we actively design our clinical workflows around physician happiness and sustainable pacing.

• National Honors for Community Impact: We are the proud winner of the 2026 AHA Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service—the nation's highest honor for community health leadership and the first hospital in Oregon to receive it. We don't practice behind ivory tower walls; our mission drives food security, regional wellness, and deep equity across our entire service area.

• Teaching Hospital Energy with Collegial Mentorship: Because our campus partners directly with the on-site Cascades East Family Medicine Residency program, you’ll enjoy the intellectual vitality and collaboration of academic medicine without the rigid red tape of a massive university system. Senior colleagues are approachable, supportive, and invested in your growth from Day 1.

• Independent & Flat Leadership: No distant corporate board making decisions three states away. Leadership is accessible in the hallways, your feedback is implemented, and you have direct ownership over your daily workflow.

The Practice: A Sustainable Schedule Built for Longevity

• The "4+1" Protected Schedule: Clinic operates Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Enjoy 4 clinic days and 1 dedicated administrative day each week to ensure your charting, inbox, and lab reviews stay strictly within work hours—leaving your evenings and weekends untouched.

• Meaningful Visit Times: Generous 40-minute appointments for new patients and 20-minute follow-ups, maintaining a balanced pace of 18–22 patients per day.

• True Outpatient Focus (No OB): Strictly outpatient-focused primary care with zero inpatient rounding required. Please note that because our regional birth volume does not support maintaining active labor and delivery privileges for primary care, our practice does not accommodate operative or delivery OB.

• Exceptionally Light, Predictable Call: Phone-only triage call on a 1:27 shared rotation (~2 weeks per year). Call schedules are published 6 months in advance with peer flexibility and very low volume.

• Procedural Flexibility: No procedures are required, though candidates who enjoy in-office procedures (suturing, splinting, casting, minor skin excisions) will find full clinic support and resources.

Transparent Compensation & Early-Career Financial Support

We provide rock-solid downside security and extensive debt-relief avenues so you can focus entirely on patient care:

• Guaranteed Base Salary: $286,416 annually.

• Guaranteed Annual Raises: Predictable 2% to 5% base increase each year.

• Annual Bonus Opportunity: Up to $30,000 annually.

• Sign-On Incentive: $75,000 paid over your first 3 years.

• Student Loan Assistance: As a qualifying 501(c)(3) not-for-profit employer, full-time physicians qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). This clinic site is also eligible for the State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP).

• Relocation & CME: Up to $25,000 in comprehensive relocation assistance, plus $4,000 annual CME funds with 5 paid CME days, and $1,000 for societal dues.

• Global Candidate Support: Welcoming to 2026 and 2027 graduates; comprehensive J-1 and H-1B visa sponsorships are fully supported.

Qualifications

• Education: MD or DO from an accredited program; Board-certified or Board-eligible in Family Medicine.

• Licensure: Eligible for or holding an active, unrestricted Oregon medical license.

• Candidate Profile: Ideal for upcoming residency graduates seeking a warm, collaborative transition into practice, as well as experienced family physicians seeking an independent, relationship-driven medical home.

Where You’ll Work: Sky Lakes Medical Center

Sky Lakes is an independent, community-owned, 176-bed teaching hospital serving as the primary healthcare lifeline for over 80,000 residents across Southern Oregon and Northern California. Named a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital, our campus combines modern specialty facilities—including an award-winning Cancer Treatment Center and a dedicated Center for Total Joint and Spine Care—with an authentic culture grounded in respect, integrity, and kindness.

Living in Klamath Falls: The "Sunnyside" of the Cascades

If you need designer shopping malls and five-star valet dining, this won't fit. But if you want a grounded mountain lifestyle with 300+ days of high-desert sunshine, clean air, and zero traffic, Klamath Falls delivers:

• Adventure in Minutes: Mountain biking trails 10 minutes away, premier fly-fishing rivers, and world-class hiking throughout the Cascade Mountains.

• Crater Lake in Your Backyard: Live less than an hour from Crater Lake National Park.

• High Financial Value: Stretch your income further with zero Oregon state sales tax, an affordable housing market, and an easy path to homeownership.

• A True Community: A welcoming town of 22,000 serving a broader regional hub where your patients are neighbors, your kids share sports teams, and you make a visible impact every single day.

Sky Lakes Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer including disability/veteran.