Wow, I guess I really did take the summer off from blogging. I didn't realize it had been a good two months since I last wrote. I was, however, prompted to put my thoughts together when I received an email responding to my "What is the biggest question you are struggling with at present?" inquiry. The physician wrote "my biggest challenge is narrowing down what I would like to do and creating an economic model to support my endeavors"
Great observation! And a challenge that I suspect many would-be entrepreneurial physicians face when filled with the urge to start a business.
While the questi......
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Please don't cringe when I mention the words "medical practice marketing". Please stop for a moment and read my words below.
I hope to pleasantly surprise you with the realization that what I am about to describe is not used-car salesman tricks. Far from it! No ... I'm asking you to be yourself, show up in a way that you hope anyone you were buying from would show up, and do that exceptionally well!!
Marketing isn't Selling. You are not going to push any creams or vitamins or extra procedures on any unsuspecting patient.
Medical practice marketing is, to paraphrase Wikipedia:
... the process...... 
Preventing physician burnout Part 1 touched on an increased in pessimism amongst physicians in the United States about the practice of medicine, as well as what's happening inside our brains as we near professional burnout.
Now it's time to explore ways to forestall this deadly mental, emotional and physical condition. I have 3 short tips for you today:
1. Do unto yourself as you are preaching to others
How often does the irony of your physician counsel to patients strike you? There you sit (or stand, if you're a doctor in a rush) advising patients on exercise, healthy eating, and overall h...... 
As a recent attendee at the Creativity and Personal Mastery program (CPM) that I have previously written about, I was tickled to receive and read a review copy of "The Practicing Mind" (A) by Thomas Sterner. His book is an active reminder of the value I derived from the program, as it echoes much of the content. It's also foretells the huge payoffs that come with learning how to "practice".
What does "practice" really mean?
If I were to focus on the intended outcome of this article, I would be thinking about and worrying whether you were going to read it, and how you might act upon it for you...... 
The recently published Medscape's Physician Lifestyle Report: 2012 starts to tell the story of what it is to be a physician in the US today, beginning with an overall "happiness" rating.
Approximately 1 in 3 physicians -- both men and women -- rated themselves a 5 and 40% rated themselves a 4 (suggesting "pretty happy"). The average happiness score for physicians who responded was 3.96, which is on the cheerful side but not overwhelmingly happy. When looking at happiness ratings by specialist, the 5 happiest were rheumatologists (4.09), dermatologists (4.05), urologists (4.04), oph...... 
It's easy to see why so many physicians contemplating a non-clinical business or career change feel a sense of nervous excitement and apprehension about branching out on their own. After all, you've put a ton of time into becoming this highly-trained professional, and being a doctor could be all you've ever known.
Starting your own non-clinical business can be a nerve-wracking experience. Perhaps you're wanting to get out of clinical practice but are still looking for that "perfect" business idea to take to the next level. Thankfully, there are many non-clinical career options that will not o...... 
I get sent a lot of content, aimed at physicians, to potentially post on The Entrepreneurial MD Blog and most of it is irrelevant or way too cheesy for the likes of you, dear reader. Once in a while however, something piques my interest as it is thoughtful or provocative.
This time it's an "infographic" (contemporary lingo for cool images that are designed to convey information quickly) that caught my eye.
The information is largely "duh" for most of my physician readers (although I found some of it interesting) but I offer it to you as a way to stimulate your thinking about the ways in which ...... 
I recently received this communication via my other website (Women Leaving Medicine) and thought it pointed enough of a question and commentary that I decided to share a portion of it and my response with you.
“I am the primary bread winner in our family. We have two boys - 3 and 1. My husband is going back to school for his Masters while he also juggles being the primary care giver for our boys. I left emergency medicine almost three years ago and did a preceptorship in treating a disease that is medical as well as cosmetic.
I now work for a big corporation and the job allows me to be ho...... 
How much business does your physician business website deliver to your door?
Do you even know?
My first website was admired for its good looks but I can't honestly claim it ever drove a single client to my doorstep.
Now, whereas I kinda like how The Entrepreneurial MD looks, that isn't what matters to me any more. How it performs as a relationship- and business-building tool is what really counts.
The reason I value this so much is that marketing can be very expensive. Ads, booths at health fairs or conferences, 4-color brochures, even traveling to places to give speaking presentations f...... 
When asked about my circuitous physician career and how I have made it happen, I can probably best describe my "strategy" as "opportunistic".
What I really mean is that I have always come up short on having a 10-year career plan (it must be the Aquarian in me who rebels against too much structure), and instead have followed my nose and instincts for opportunities that have presented themselves over the years. And no, those opportunities are not just the result of sheer good fortune, although I do feel fortunate.
They have arisen as an outgrowth of my ongoing efforts to build and mainta...... 
What do you really know about healthcare reform?
And do you even care?
The past few years have thrust healthcare into the limelight, with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act (PPACA) in March 2010. And confusion has reigned ever since.
Once in a while, I come across good explanations that attempt to demystify the PPACA. As much as I'd like to be an ostrich with my head in the sand, mainly to escape the rancor and fury of those decrying the Act and the cries of those begging for meaningful change, I can't escape its impact on my clientele and readers.
For ...... 
For most of us physician business owners, the beginning of a year is a time filled with hope and intention. "It's going to be a(n even) better year. I’m going to be better at X, Y and Z"! we tell ourselves.
I mentioned previously that I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. I have discovered them to be grandiose and difficult to achieve, leading to a sense of failure and self-flagellation when we fall short and find ourselves back to square one a month or so later.
What, if instead of focusing on these "ideal" outcomes, we paid more attention to the process... the journey? How would...... 
