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Building Relationships with
Fellow Podiatrists
 by Jordan R. Stewart, DPM Timonium Foot and Ankle Center Established July 2006 Timonium, MD Do not view other podiatrists in the community as your competition since it only benefits you to build a relationship with them. I contacted all of them to introduce myself and let them know about my training. Most podiatrists that trained in the 70s, 80s, and even early 90s only had one year of surgical training and the majority of that training consisted of forefoot surgery and minor rearfoot procedures. As our profession has advanced, so has training. Our generation of podiatrists can offer services that previous generations do not. As a result, podiatrists in your community may be a great referral source for you. I have built a relationship with a very busy solo podiatrist in my community and this has helped to grow my practice. He has a large, well-established practice and he is so busy that he cannot schedule appointments in less than one month. When patients call his office and need to be seen urgently or they simply do not want to wait one month to be seen, his staff gives them my number. As a new doctor, I am generally able to see the patient that same day or whenever it works out for their schedule. Your availability is very attractive to patients, and they talk to their friends and family, which generates more referral by word of mouth. Finding coverage for your practice during vacation or for emergent situations is very important for all of us. As you build your relationship with other doctors, offer to cover their practice in their absence and ask if they are willing to do the same. When you cover for another practice, you are able to bill for the services you provide, so there is a benefit for covering. Be sure to make arrangements as far in advanced as possible as you would expect the same courtesy extended to you. Retired and well-established podiatrists are also a valuable source of information for new practitioners. I met with a few of these podiatrists who started their own practices several years ago. Over a cup of coffee, they shared practice and business pearls and highlighted what they thought were important factors for success. I took away valuable information from each meeting and have incorporated many of their ideas into my practice. Establishing a good relationship with your fellow podiatrists is one the keys to success. As our profession advances, are relationships need to remain strong as we can always learn something from one another.
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