Starting and Running a Practice

I Wish I Had Known: Pay Attention To Staff During Residency
staff residencyOne of the most important skills that I strive to develop in order to run an efficient, pleasant practice is to effectively manage my staff. Throughout residency I was so focused on learning dermatology to the best of my ability that I never considered the other skills that would benefit me in practice. My behavior sets the model for how everyone else should conduct themselves. I have fun with …
staff residency
Consider Hiring a Practice Management Consultant
leader researchScott Beals, DO Dermatology Surgery Center-Crestview, Niceville, Andalusia Crestview, FL 1. The most important thing I learned from starting a practice 10yrs ago, make an investment and get a good practice management consultant 2. Too many areas to consider when starting a practice 3. Start an electronic medical record 4. Keep up with medicare and government regulations 5. Get a high qual …
leader research
Use Simple Electronic Tools to Improve Communication with Your Patients
electronic communicationsOne of the most challenging aspects of practicing medicine is ensuring consistently effective communication with patients. This is particularly true in dermatology, where patient volume is relatively high compared to other fields. Many problems and pitfalls commonly encountered in practice are avoidable. If you and your staff take advantage of relatively novel yet simple methods of transmitting i …
electronic communications
I Wish I Had Known: Planning Ahead
Plan AheadPlan for at least six months to a year ahead of time. You want to find your location and get all of your things together—your insurance, supplies, and office gear—well ahead of time because it’s going to take you much longer than you think to set all of those things up. Study demographics. Look for your market, what population you are trying to reach, and try to see if you can get the dat …
Plan Ahead
Incorporating Cosmetic Procedures into a General Dermatology Practice
Cosmetic ProceduresIt is advisable to visit as many offices as possible during residency training. See how different offices are set-up, request copies of paperwork and consents used (you may also download sample forms from NextStepsInDerm.com), and talk to the staff about their approach to patients. Which procedures are performed? Do practitioners buy, rent, or lease their equipment? How is the patient flow? Are al …
Cosmetic Procedures