Marketing for the New Doc

by Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
Joined Practice July 2006 of
John K Throckmorton, DPM, PC
Lansing, Michigan

As a new physician in town, I've become established at the hospitals with my privileges, and I'm beginning to see an upward trend in both the number of patients I see and the number of surgeries I'm boarding. Now that things are settling down a bit, how do I keep this upward trend in growth? That comes down to one word: marketing.

When I first started, we faxed out an announcement that my boss was taking on a new associate. It was a quick read that breezed through my general qualifications and interests. We also stuffed this letter into the hospital mailboxes of every physician at the two hospitals in which we work. Additionally, we've done a lot of handshaking in the halls, and I've been out to the offices of several physicians to meet them in person. I'd recommend you focus on those specialties that are likely to send you referrals (internal medicine, family practice, and rheumatology for example).

Another method of marketing to your peers is involvement in the hospital system. For example, I'm on a committee opening a local surgery center. I've volunteered for one of the subcommittees, which not only exposes me to more physicians but is also educational in this process. Being involved in a local wound care clinic has also greatly exposed me to a variety of specialties as well. I'm volunteering my time lecturing occasionally to a diabetic education class.

I would argue, though, that the most significant marketing mechanism is how you treat patients and your bedside manner. Word of mouth is your best marketing method. When I first started, I was being fed a good number of patients, but now about 90% of my patients are my own. For instance, I've been treating a patient recently for a chronic peroneal problem. I spent time with her, listening to her complaint, and trying to treat her conservatively. We've now gotten to the point where she's scheduled for surgical repair (after an MRI verified a split longitudinal tear). During her treatment course she referred a coworker to me who's been casted for orthotics. I do my best to treat patients with the highest quality medical care, and the referrals follow.

For those of you considering opening your own practice, anticipate a time lag before you start seeing your patients and seeing reimbursement for them. I was lucky.  I had someone very well established in the area feeding me patients, and my census only ranges from 15 to 20 patients per day average after about 3 months in practice. Depending on your circumstances (need in the area, number of podiatrists, etc.) I would anticipate a longer time period before the patients are beating down your door.

Here are a few more ideas for marketing yourself:
 

• Take out an advertisement in the local newspaper (find out which days have the highest readership).
• Buy a slot in the yellow pages. Be careful: this can get expensive.
• Create an Internet web page, and include the address on your business card and in all communication that you send out
• Consider free in office foot screenings. The goal is to convert each screen to an office patient after a 2-5 minute visit. Don't take away from your regular patients to see these.
• Do community foot screenings. Make sure you take business cards with you!
• Don't forget about family and friends! Give them cards to carry to hand out to people they meet.
• Create a practice brochure to hand out.

It's a good idea to start early figuring out how best to market yourself. When you're interviewing for a job, throw out a couple of ideas, and your boss to be will be impressed with your initiative.

Write in with any other ideas for marketing.  Let's share the wealth. Good luck!
 

Talk to me,

Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT New Docs Editor
[email protected]

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