I am a pediatric fellow with $100,000 in school debt and a family of five with three young children. Our economic demands are different than many of my single colleagues. Salary negotiation is very foreign to me and I am worried about offending the division director and her chair. The roles I am considering at the 40% where others in my class are being offered higher numbers. What would your advice be in represent my financial needs and interest in my upcoming negotiations?

I think it is important to realize that most departments have benchmarks of where they want their salary structures to rank.

There may not be as much flexibility as applicants think. It is very appropriate for the applicant to raise their concerns regarding compensation at the appropriate time. I would not suggest raising compensation concerns initially, however a knowledge of how salary, raises, and/if bonuses are calculated are very reasonable concerns to have addressed before the contract is finalized.