Just Say Yes! (to Private Practice)

By David Kopacz, MD
“My first word of advice is this, say yes. In fact, say yes as often as you can. Saying yes brings new things. Saying yes is how things grow. Saying yes leads to new experiences, and new experiences will lead to knowledge and wisdom. Yes is for young people, and an attitude of yes is how you will be able to go forward in these uncertain times,” (President of the University of Connecticut, Michael Hogan’s 2009 commencement address, quoted in “How a New Jobless Era will Transform America, by Don Peck, The Atlantic Monthly, March 2010, p. 48).

Doctors are a pretty conservative bunch. We get to where we are by saying no to many things that are a lot more immediately enjoyable than studying biochemistry. It can and has been said that doctors are a risk-averse group. Why then would any physician in their right mind say “yes” to private practice when there are no financial guarantees, no colleagues, maybe even no employees, no 401(k), no one paying your malpractice insurance, maybe you have some patients, but maybe you don’t even have that!

Why on earth would you say yes to private practice?
Well, for me, it felt like a necessity, and I suppose many adventures start out that way. Read more

Increasing Business Through Referrals from Other Physicians

How to get referrals from other physicians isn’t a topic that is commonly written about, yet it happens every day. Of course, specialists depend on referrals from other doctors, but primary care doctors need to consider other physicians as a reliable source of new patients also.  Many primary care physicians are content with the occasional referral from their doctor friends.  Few primary care doctors think of other doctors as a consistent source of new patients, but physician referrals should not be overlooked as one of the top three ways to build your practice affordably. There is no shame in wanting or needing more patients and you should not be hesitant about making your desires known in this area. Pediatricians and obstetricians are one example of physicians helping each other build their practices. Many other specialties benefit from similar symbiotic relationships.

Though it may sound oversimplified, when you make the decision to increase new patient visits by physician referrals, you will find that opportunities present themselves readily.  Many doctors assume that their peers are thriving and do not need referrals, so you need to relieve them of this misperception. Once you adopt the right mindset, you will notice numerous opportunities in your conversations with other physicians to mention your desire for new patients. 

How you go about spreading the word to your fellow physicians depends on how active you are in participating in social and professional gatherings with your peers.  If you frequently attend social functions with other physicians, you probably won’t need to do much else other than take advantage of the opportunities that are already available to you. 

If you are not as actively involved with your peers, you may have to stretch your comfort zone a bit.  The best way to do this is to simply begin by interacting more with other physicians in your building or facility whom you do not know very well.  Making conversations in the elevator is a basic example of how to do this. Just start, and opportunities will present themselves.

The best way to broach the topic is to approach referrals from the other direction.  A great method is to seek first to provide referrals to other physicians.  Ask questions of your peers to understand their specialty and what constitutes an ideal patient for them, and make it clear that you are ready, willing, and able to send referrals their way, and let them know that you will do so when the opportunity arises. 

Your peers will often then turn around and ask you the same questions so they are best prepared to send you referrals.  Don’t be shy about letting them know you are trying to build your practice and use the word “appreciate” when you mention the idea of referrals.

There are two other things you should keep in mind.  First, do not take your physician referrals for granted. If someone has been consistently sending you referrals, schedule some time to send them a thank you note, or take them to lunch or treat to a round of golf, or something similar.  Let them know you appreciate the referrals and let them know how helpful it has been to you.  And of course, return the favor whenever you can. The more generous you are with referrals, the more you will receive. 

Conversely, if you are consistently sending someone referrals, and they are not returning the favor, don’t be afraid to start sending those referrals to another physician who will return the favor.  Your referrals are valuable, like cash gifts, and you are under no obligation to give out referrals to someone who doesn’t understand their value or appreciate them.