Practice Management

Perfectionism is your nemesis, not your superpower

Physician

March 4, 2021

Ballet dancers and doctors are essentially the same people. Long before I entered medicine, ballet taught me the skills that made me successful in my clinical practice. I was a life-long learner. I improved my skills with daily practice. I was creative with limited resources. I strived for excellence and was rewarded for these efforts. The skills I learned as a professional ballet dancer prepared me well for medicine.

There was …

How financial independence evolution shaped the end of my medical career

Anonymous

Finance

March 1, 2021

When I read The Broke Diaries, it was like reading my financial autobiography in medical school. I remember negotiating with the dry-cleaner to split my bill so that I could only pay for one dress and pick the rest up later. Looking forward to making some furniture craft for my apartment on Spring break while the rest of my classmates were going to some exotic Island …

3 steps for physicians to shift from stuck to unstoppable

Stephanie Wellington, MD

Physician

February 23, 2021

Every physician has had the experience. The moment you ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?”

It could be when you look into the waiting room where there are more patients to be seen and know if you take a break, it will set you back even further.

It could be on the final stretch of the 24-hour shift that redefined the meaning of the word “nonstop.”

It could be the third time …

It’s never too late for physicians to change directions and land new jobs

Paul Pender, MD

Physician

February 19, 2021

Changing direction once established is not easy, but it can be rewarding. I recently read the essay on KevinMD (“How this physician escaped the system“) from a physician who shifted gears to her own business after some discouraging experiences in “the system.” During her residency, her attending physician asked her what her purpose was in becoming a physician. To her credit, she said that her goals …

Boundaries as a woman physician

Tammie Chang, MD

Physician

February 17, 2021

When I think about boundaries, I am struck by how individual, varied, and unique each of our own personal definitions of boundaries can be. For one person, it is the physical boundary between the external world and our property. For another, the emotional and relational boundary between physician and patient. For many, the physical, emotional, and energy boundary between work and home. And often the most difficult, the boundary between …

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Boundaries as a woman physician

Physicians need growth days

Amy Vertrees, MD

Physician

February 11, 2021

Physicians are overwhelmed and burned out. We have an epidemic of “too busy.” Many of us think we could get so much more accomplished if we had more time. Why aren’t we taking the time? Doctors need to start taking growth days. These aren’t sick days, mental health days or vacation days. Growth days are days strategically taken during the month that are specifically meant for personal growth. This could …

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Physicians need growth days

The case for physician peer coaching

Sara Tamarin, MD

Physician

February 8, 2021

I love metaphors. I think they can be so powerful and can convey so much, sometimes with just a few words.

One metaphor we use in coaching to describe the coach’s role in a session with their client is that of a swimming pool. The client is in the swimming pool, and as the coach we have the job of not jumping in the pool with them.

Imagine you …

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The case for physician peer coaching

A physician’s mid-career and mid-life success

Saloni Sharma, MD

Physician

February 6, 2021

A mid-life crisis, re-assessment, re-envision. Hollywood’s cliché version epitomized by Chevy Chase driving the “family truckster” while flirting with Christie Brinkley and later trying to skinny-dip with her. Of course, it is more than that.

Researcher, Brene Brown, calls it the unraveling. It is a pause. Turning off auto-pilot. A re-evaluation of goals. Clinically, it is called a mid-life transition or stage of adult development. It can be midlife or mid-career …

14 tips when negotiating a physician job

Christina Arnold, MD

Physician

January 27, 2021

Negotiations are not just for the job interview and annual review. We negotiate every day. Negotiating in place can be a powerful mechanism to make your current job a better fit.

The key to effective negotiations is to think like the boss. What are her concerns, goals, and interests? How can you align your goals with those of the boss and institution so that everyone wins?

At every point where you are …

A new way to look at leadership: Embrace the commitment

Robyn Alley-Hay, MD

Physician

January 25, 2021

Faced with starting a women’s cervical cancer program at 12,000 feet at the top of the world in the Himalayas was daunting. I had no idea how I was going to do it. I had my colposcope (a microscope to see the cervix) and a few speculums that I hoped would make the two-day trip through the mountains on a barely …

The hidden reason you struggle with your charts and what you can do about it

Gail Gazelle, MD

Physician

January 20, 2021

For most clinicians, this will sound familiar:

I can feel the resentment bubbling up as I sit down to chart on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I’ve got dozens of charts hanging over me, and if I don’t get them closed, there will be yet another miserable head thrashing with my practice admin. My kids are clamoring for my time, and every fiber of my being is resisting getting these charts done. …

I am an orthopedic surgeon who decided to stop taking insurance

Daniel Paull, MD

Physician

January 19, 2021

I am an orthopedic surgeon, and I only take cash. When I tell people this, it usually conjures up images of some money-grubbing doctor eager to make a dollar any way they can. Personally, I am not incredibly incentivized by money in and of itself. I try to live a reasonable lifestyle and keep my expenses under control. I started a cash-only practice not for the love of money but …

Thriving in residency: tips for your personal, financial, and professional lives

Devesh Vashishtha, MD

Physician

January 9, 2021

The reality is just setting in: I’m months away from finishing my family medicine residency! I want to yell it from the mountaintops, but let me also channel my elation into some advice. This is for the next generation: all you phenomenal DO and MD students who are on the cusp of becoming physicians.

In deciding where to rank highly, I cannot overstate the value of being …

Lessons learned from leaving my first job

Christina Arnold, MD

Physician

December 30, 2020

As a fellow, I made a list of what I wanted in my first job. I dreamed, prayed, and wished for the contract to finalize. It did. I went to Ohio hoping that this was my first, last, and always job.

Eight years later, I left feeling completely broken. On my first anniversary of leaving, here are the major lessons that changed my life.

1. It’s not my job’s job to make …

Pros and cons of 457(b) plans: What physicians need to know

Paul Morton, CFP

Finance

December 27, 2020

There’s not a perfect financial planning vehicle in existence. Salary deferral plans, like many retirement plans and 457 plans, carry pros and cons. Many hospital systems have a combination of 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. The 401(k) is often designed for the employees who make under a certain amount, say less than $150,000 or so. Then the 403(b) with an option to contribute to a 457 salary deferral plan is …

Negotiate your employment agreement after residency

Barney Cohen, Esq

Finance

December 26, 2020

A lot is happening when graduating medical residents are looking for employment after completing graduate medical education. They are finishing their residencies, taking the specialty boards, and trying to decide where they will be spending the rest of their lives. Considering a new job offer can be both exciting and stressful. It is natural in such circumstances to focus on what the job promises, where it is located, and how much it pays—and easy to overlook the fact …

Why dog poop is a metaphor for challenge, controversy, and change

Randall S. Fong, MD

Physician

December 24, 2020

I run outside, barefoot, and encounter natural phenomena along the way. One of these is dog poop. Ironically, there’s been recent chatter about dog poop on our community Facebook page. It’s a topic worthy of multiple posts and the impetus for the rather absurd bit of writing to follow.

The Facebook posts center on those anonymous people who fail to pick up their dog’s waste. Since I’m …

Understanding the business of medicine: How to pursue excellence in the medical field

Todd Skertich

Finance

December 15, 2020

Your success in the medical field is not solely contingent upon your clinical dexterity but often results from the mastery of various industry aspects. What separates a great doctor from a good doctor is their cognizance of both the clinical and business sides of medicine. The market, risks, and trends of medical businesses are a great resource for residents as they establish their place in medicine. Business management is a …

How to make peace with purpose

Kara Pepper, MD

Physician

December 15, 2020

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver, The Summer Day

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.” The word “ikigai” is usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile. The word translated to English roughly means “thing that you live for” or “the reason for …

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How to make peace with purpose