Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew
Before My First Day of Practice

You didn’t think this day would come, but it is here! For those completing residency in 10 days, it is time to get to work...and for those of you moving into your next level of residency, it is time to take on even more responsibility and get ready for the day when you will soon graduate.

After surveying a large group of practicing DPM’s, I have compiled this helpful listing of genuine thoughts and helpful pearls that will surely come in handy as you move forward toward practice...

Take a look over these 10 suggestions from currently practicing members of the profession:

10. Remember that you can never be too nice to the office staff. They really do make or break you.

9. Realize from day 1 that you will likely be sued and your records will likely be questioned. You need to make documentation a priority, like it or not!

8. Understand that it can take 6-8 months to get a state license, insurance numbers, and hospital staff privileges.

7. Pursue incorporating as a LLC or PA or PC prior to completing any business loan applications, etc.

6. Many hospitals in geographically underserved areas still are interested in "sponsoring" a new practitioner that may want to join their community. Contact local hospital CEO's in the area you are thinking to practice in and investigate this option.

5. Keep detailed surgical logs (either in a spreadsheet or in your office management software) to facilitate completion of your Board Certification applications.

4. There is no ONE good treatment for anything. Rather, there are many good treatments for many things.

3. Never tell a patient you can cure something or make it normal. Rather, tell them you hope to improve something significantly.

2. Suggest to complex, difficult, and confrontational patients that you require them to seek a second opinion prior to performing an elective surgical procedure. The opinion will usually agree with your plan and will help diffuse litigation before it even starts.

1. Learn WHEN and on WHOM to 'Just Say No' to surgery. Listen to your instinct and to your office staff when you have a patient that you think might not be a good candidate for surgery...

This list could go on and on, but I hope you find these few helpful.

I still hold steady on my belief that there has NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE A DPM! Step into this next year with a positive outlook and do what you know to be the right thing...success will find you very quickly.
 

Any stories, feedback or questions about the experiences that you've had in your residency program?  Let's make this forum more interactive. We're not looking for gems here...just the sharing of your personal experiences.  Please share your comments by sending a note to jsteinberg@podiatry.com

John S. Steinberg, DPM
Editor, PRESENT