Things That I Wish I Knew About Private Practice:

1) I wish I knew more about how the insurance participation is run including things like applying and also just about IPA groups etc. These are things I didn’t even know about so couldn’t ask questions about.

2) Marketing and advertising – in a competitive location like NYC, understanding some of the was to market yourself is important. A lot of this is online and social media based but also along these same lines, thinking about ways to make connections with referring providers is important. Sending letters to those referring providers to establish relationships is a good idea – something I learned while in private practice but would have been good to know about ahead of time.

3) In private practice I learned about different personalities and expectations than what I was used to during residency. I think just coming into it knowing that people’s expectations can vary widely is important. And you sort of learn quickly, perhaps by trial and error to a certain extent, and that helped me develop as a private practitioner. Just being prepared for it, may help your own perceptions. Biggest takeaway is to be patient with your patients.

4) Always ask at the end of your visit, do you have any other questions? Is there anything else I can help you with?

5) Key takeaway: we are in a service industry and the doctors that do the best and have the best relationships with their patients understand that!

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