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Any advice for opening a practice in rural areas as a podiatrist?
rural area doctors podiatry
- Thread starter toe jam
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1) Make sure that there is an adequate population to support your practice.
2) Make sure that any local hospital will be up-to-date regarding podiatric medicine and surgery and that the present staff will welcome you and will have provisions in their by-laws to grant you staff AND surgical privileges.
3) I would strongly recommend "surveying" the primary care physicians in the area to see if they understand the profession and introduce yourself if this is an under-served area. This is an amazing area to educate doctors that may not understand the profession or may be "old school".
4) Do your homework to see how many DPM's already exist within the local area. Is there a need for another DPM? Do you provide a service these DPM's do not provide (i.e. major surgical services?). If these docs are not surgically oriented, it's a great opportunity to introduce yourself WITHOUT being "cocky". Simply offer your services if any of their patients ever require your services. Guarantee these docs that the patient will be returned to their practice following the post op care for any orthoses, etc.
If these doctors DO perform surgery, but not complicated surgery, once again do not go in "cocky", but simply let them know that you'd be happy to assist them or help them if they ever have any cases that are complicated, etc.
5) Don't overspend on office space, but don't underestimate your future growth. Leave room in your new office for expansion. You don't have to fill all your rooms with equipment, but have some extra room in the hope and anticipation those rooms will eventually need additional equipment.
6) DO NOT hire friends or relatives to work in your office.
7) Make yourself available for the "working" people.
8) Knock on doors of as many doctors as possible and patronize local businesses, not big stores. Leave your card with these small businesses and get to know the owners. That's your best resource for referrals. You can be the best doctor in the world, but no one can utilize your service if they don't know you exist.
Good luck.
2) Make sure that any local hospital will be up-to-date regarding podiatric medicine and surgery and that the present staff will welcome you and will have provisions in their by-laws to grant you staff AND surgical privileges.
3) I would strongly recommend "surveying" the primary care physicians in the area to see if they understand the profession and introduce yourself if this is an under-served area. This is an amazing area to educate doctors that may not understand the profession or may be "old school".
4) Do your homework to see how many DPM's already exist within the local area. Is there a need for another DPM? Do you provide a service these DPM's do not provide (i.e. major surgical services?). If these docs are not surgically oriented, it's a great opportunity to introduce yourself WITHOUT being "cocky". Simply offer your services if any of their patients ever require your services. Guarantee these docs that the patient will be returned to their practice following the post op care for any orthoses, etc.
If these doctors DO perform surgery, but not complicated surgery, once again do not go in "cocky", but simply let them know that you'd be happy to assist them or help them if they ever have any cases that are complicated, etc.
5) Don't overspend on office space, but don't underestimate your future growth. Leave room in your new office for expansion. You don't have to fill all your rooms with equipment, but have some extra room in the hope and anticipation those rooms will eventually need additional equipment.
6) DO NOT hire friends or relatives to work in your office.
7) Make yourself available for the "working" people.
8) Knock on doors of as many doctors as possible and patronize local businesses, not big stores. Leave your card with these small businesses and get to know the owners. That's your best resource for referrals. You can be the best doctor in the world, but no one can utilize your service if they don't know you exist.
Good luck.
Be careful with this one. If you don't use an extreme amount of tact, it'd be easy for someone who's never really been in practice to come off as cocky offering help to someone who's done just fine for the last 10-20 or more years, especially if it's your first time meeting one another.
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NatCH,
That's exactly why I specifically stated in my post not to be "cocky"!!!!
That's exactly why I specifically stated in my post not to be "cocky"!!!!
Yes, you certainly did! You also gave much other very valuable advice. I simply wanted to emphasize that offering help to someone who hasn't asked for it is perilous.
Picture this:
Receptionist: "Dr. PADPM, there's a young man here who wants to introduce himself. He says he's a podiatrist who is considering moving here."
PADPM: "Okay, send him in."
Young DPM: "Hello! My name is Dr. Hugh Bris and I just wanted to introduce myself because I'm considering moving here. I'm finishing up a PSR-36, and if I come here I'd be available to help you do your complicated cases. If you were to send your difficult cases to me, I would make sure to send the patients back so you can do the routine stuff afterwards."
Right about then you would probably think to yourself, "Who the F is this guy??? Who does he think he is? Why the hell would I need his "help?" I've been in practice 23 years, used to be an ABPS examiner, was involved in training residents..."
See what I mean? How a person words his offer is crucial. One doesn't want to insult the other person while supposedly being gracious. One has to be EXTREMELY tactful, and you and I both have observed people being not so tactful right here on this forum. I know you've seen it in person too, because I sure have. People pay little attention to interpersonal skills these days.
When I was in Residency we had this particular Attending who would bristle when a Resident would show up at the OR and announce, "I'm here to help you out on this case." The Attending would reply, "I don't need your help; I can do it by myself just fine." Then he would send them away. If we showed up and said, "May I be your assistant today?" he would love you and let you run the case. It was a matter of semantics, yes, but it made all the difference in whether you went home or if you got to log a "C" case.
Diplomacy and tact can make all the difference between success and failure. I'm just saying to the OP that he should choose his words carefully if offering "help" when first meeting an established practitioner.
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6) DO NOT hire friends or relatives to work in your office.
What would be your suggestion on letting my wife help with my practice. She has a business degree and tons of business sense. She has a vast medical knowledge and billing knowledge. That and she would be "free"
What would be your suggestion on letting my wife help with my practice. She has a business degree and tons of business sense. She has a vast medical knowledge and billing knowledge. That and she would be "free"
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NatCH,
You are 100% correct.
A prime example would be "toe jam". It's all the way you approach someone and the way you handle yourself.
As I stated, "toe jam" is a perfect example. He/she asked a question, and as an experienced attending, I spent time to write a relatively thorough reply, and you spent time to respond.
And instead of "toe jam" taking the time to thank either one of us for our replies, he/she simply asked another question!
It certainly would have been nice if prior to asking another question, "toe jam" would have at least had the courtesy to have recognized the fact that there was time involved in answering the original question, and some comment regarding the original answer and/or a "thank you" would have been appropriate.
So that definitely confirms your concern about approaching things the "right" way!
You are 100% correct.
A prime example would be "toe jam". It's all the way you approach someone and the way you handle yourself.
As I stated, "toe jam" is a perfect example. He/she asked a question, and as an experienced attending, I spent time to write a relatively thorough reply, and you spent time to respond.
And instead of "toe jam" taking the time to thank either one of us for our replies, he/she simply asked another question!
It certainly would have been nice if prior to asking another question, "toe jam" would have at least had the courtesy to have recognized the fact that there was time involved in answering the original question, and some comment regarding the original answer and/or a "thank you" would have been appropriate.
So that definitely confirms your concern about approaching things the "right" way!
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You are very correct I should of taken the time to thank you for your time and your valuable answers. Lesson learned. I am very grateful for both of your responses, I guess I am to eager to learn and did not take the time to give thanks, before I wanted to know more.
I will have to remember to give thanks to the doctors for the referrals before I ask them for more patients. I have a lot to learn and hopefully my mistakes will not be costly to me.
I will have to remember to give thanks to the doctors for the referrals before I ask them for more patients. I have a lot to learn and hopefully my mistakes will not be costly to me.
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Apology accepted. And as you stated, hopefully this has been a valuable lesson.
When you do start your own practice, never forget those that gave you a hand in the beginning or anywhere along the way. Even when you obtain success, a simple "thank you" always goes a very, very long way.
I'm in a pretty large practice with about 15 doctors, and we've got a lot of offices and service a lot of facilities. In all my years of practice I always make it an effort to say "good morning", "hello" or whatever to every staff member in each office I visit, every facility I visit, etc.
When I call the offices of referring doctors, I always speak briefly with any staff member that answers the phone. I never simply ask to speak with the doctor. I'd say it's safe to state that the staff of each referring office knows me "personally" and is never treated with an attitude.
So when our office needs a referral when a patient forgets one, or something in a "hurry", the staff at these offices is usually more than happy to oblige.
It's pretty simple, and goes hand in hand with what my father always taught me...."you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar".
Be nice to your staff, your patients and everyone you encounter and things will fall into place. Leave your ego behind, no matter how high powered your training was....people don't care. Practice high quality medicine and be patient and you'll do fine.
When you do start your own practice, never forget those that gave you a hand in the beginning or anywhere along the way. Even when you obtain success, a simple "thank you" always goes a very, very long way.
I'm in a pretty large practice with about 15 doctors, and we've got a lot of offices and service a lot of facilities. In all my years of practice I always make it an effort to say "good morning", "hello" or whatever to every staff member in each office I visit, every facility I visit, etc.
When I call the offices of referring doctors, I always speak briefly with any staff member that answers the phone. I never simply ask to speak with the doctor. I'd say it's safe to state that the staff of each referring office knows me "personally" and is never treated with an attitude.
So when our office needs a referral when a patient forgets one, or something in a "hurry", the staff at these offices is usually more than happy to oblige.
It's pretty simple, and goes hand in hand with what my father always taught me...."you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar".
Be nice to your staff, your patients and everyone you encounter and things will fall into place. Leave your ego behind, no matter how high powered your training was....people don't care. Practice high quality medicine and be patient and you'll do fine.
