I Wish I Had Known: Business Management
We go through many, many years of training and hard work to become physicians and to specialize in the field of our choice.
When I graduated from residency, I gave a lot of thought to the kind of practice I wanted to have or in which I wanted to participate. I decided to open my own practice so I would have full control and be my own boss, as my physician father had taught me should be true for a …
We go through many, many years of training and hard work to become physicians and to specialize in the field of our choice.
When I graduated from residency, I gave a lot of thought to the kind of practice I wanted to have or in which I wanted to participate. I decided to open my own practice so I would have full control and be my own boss, as my physician father had taught me should be true for a … 
When I first started my practice I had no idea how diplomatic I would have to be when working with staff issues.
Initially, I made many mistakes that translated to ruffled feathers. And a few staff members who left earlier than they should have.
While I can’t say that I always say or do the right things when staff-related issues occur, I have a much better working relationship with all my st … 
Leading change and building your team by hiring exceptional employees
Building a successful practice requires many skills that are not typically developed during one’s medical education: developing a sound business plan, cultivating a set of core values that are shared by your staff, identifying the best persons to hire and matching them with appropriate job duties, among many others. While m … 
I wish I had known that cosmetic patients and Mohs patients are like oil and water sitting in the same waiting room
They do not mix well at all. In general, well-heeled, cosmetic-oriented people (mostly women) wish to wait with others who they can identify with. Often, Mohs patients are quite elderly with bandages on their faces. Which can be a frightening sight to the cosmetic patient. I would r … 
Adapted from Q&A session at Winter AAD 2014
Question: If you are going to go into private practice, which as we know it’s a tough industry to break into now, what would be your advice at the current stage--knowing what we know concerning reimbursements cuts and all that?
Answer Dr. Sarnoff: First, scout the location where you will set up. If possible, go to an area where it’s not so … 