Founded over 100 years ago, Johns Hopkins Hospital is a teaching hospital with about 1,000 licensed beds. Johns Hopkins consistently ranks among the top hospitals nationwide. US News and World Report placed Johns Hopkins Hospital on its Honor Roll, naming it the top hospital in six categories including Rheumatology, Urology, and Pediatrics.
Location:
600 North Wolfe Street Baltimore, MD 21287
Phone:(410)955-5000
Johns Hopkins Hospital offers a full range of medical services including organ transplant and trauma care in addition to the full range of medical specialties and subspecialties including pediatric subspecialties.
Johns Hopkins Health System has about 16,000 employees. If you add the school staff, and university physicians, that number increases to about 22,000 employees.
- Culture: Paulk describes the professional atmosphere and culture at Johns Hopkins as one that’s “centered around growth and education”. She said that, having worked at fifty different hospitals as a consultant prior to landing full time at Hopkins enabled her to see what a truly “magical place” Hopkins is.
From walking the halls to meetings with the leadership team, “you’re surrounded by smart, attractive people.” Paulk emphasizes she means “attractive” in a personality sense, not just the shallow, aesthetic sense! Although she admits that a disproportionate number of physicians at Johns Hopkins resemble “movie stars” or “soap opera stars,” which some may consider a perk in and of itself!
- Prestige: Working at Hopkins means you’re working at one of the best facilities in the country, which provides some of the most advanced care and medical technology available.
- Employee Benefits: In addition to the standard benefits offered by most hospitals, Paulk states that Hopkins offers “ridiculous” tuition reimbursement, including unlimited degrees reimbursed for each Hopkins employee. Plus, half of employees’ children’s college tuition is paid as well, which helps attract and retain more experienced professionals to help precept the new graduates entering the workforce at Hopkins.
- Sense of Community: Because of the tenure of so many of Hopkins’ professionals (Paulk is a "baby" among the executives, with only ten years of employment at Hopkins), employees at Hopkins become very close-knit and team-oriented. The overall turnover rate at Johns Hopkins is only about 13-15% which includes all attrition, such as retirement, firing or any other voluntary and involuntary employment terminations.
Additionally, “we’re not a small facility,” and some people may feel somewhat lost in the shuffle working at such a large hospital. Large hospitals are not for everyone, says Paulk. It’s important for job seekers to know what type of environment works best for them, “because if you can’t handle being a small fish in a big pond, Hopkins may not be the best place for you.”
While most people thrive on being challenged and pushed to be the best they can be, some people may not be able to work well that way. Paulk states that if you are unable to handle having lots of questions thrown at you about your ideas, or people “shooting holes” in your suggestions, Hopkins may not be the optimal work environment for you. “It’s about growth, and excellence” when people question each other in meetings, “not about criticizing or making someone look bad,” but still, some people are not comfortable in such a culture.
