Cosmetic Clinic
Six Secrets to Success
September 2003
As the new columnist for "Cosmetic Clinic," I was asked to write aobut how I built a successful cosmetic dermatology practice in a zip code filled with plastic surgeons. So, I sat down and thought about what had transpired over the past 10 years and came up with this list of things. While most of them are really common sense, I think they bear repeating. Here, I'll share them with you.
1. the most important aspect of my practice . . . . this is quite simple — be a good doctor and care about your patients. Perhaps it's a "sixth sense," or perhaps it's the way one carries one's self, but I believe that most patients can tell when you are listening to their concers and trying to address them. Patients intuitively know when physicians have reached a point in their careers when they know what's right for their patients better than the patient does — and I know that patients don't like this. So, in my attempt to never get to this point, I always try to hear what the patient is saying and determine whether the goals he or she has are realistic.
2. Some patients are never going to be happy. When I started my practice, it would concern me immeasurably when a patient wasn’t satisfied with an outcome. After a while, I realized that there are simply some people in life who are never happy. Once I accepted this fact, I came up with a good solution for these patients. I routinely refer them to one of my colleagues who I
think is ideally suited for them.
3. Trying to save patients money can often backfire. This source of discontent for some of my cosmetic patients turned out to be a surprise to me. By doing what I thought was medically and economically reasonable, I didn’t meet some patients’ expectations. To avoid this from happening, I now specifically outline for patients what it will take to attain a given result. In addition, I’m as clear as possible in discussing the costs involved in attaining these results, as well as the costs involved in touch-up procedures.
My consent forms for all procedures now have a line describing all cosmetic
procedures as a “process,” rather than as discrete procedures. I also mention
the possibility that an enhancement may be necessary in the future for
optimum results. The fact that such an enhancement would be charged to the
patient is also spelled out in the consent form.
4. Reach out to colleagues who are experts when you’re learning to perfect your technique. When I was a resident, it became clear that the physicians who ran my program did not think that cosmetic dermatology was at all worthwhile. While my teachers were waxing nostalgic about the manifestations of syphilis, I wanted to learn about lasers and other cosmetic-related procedures.
So, I ordered collagen to the clinic to learn to inject it. The faculty was aghast. Needless to say, in this environment it was difficult to learn the skills needed for cosmetic dermatology.
Fortunately, Chicago has a wealth of good dermatologists and several, paricularly, Brian Cook, M.D., were kind enough to train me in procedures I wanted to learn.
It amazed me then, and still does to this day, how much I can learn by picking up the phone and calling an expert in a particular technique and asking if I can spend a day or two watching this
person so that I can perfect my own technique. The take-home messages here are to not only reach out to colleagues who know more than you, but also take the time that’s needed to spend on perfecting your technique.
Several programs (including a great preceptorship program with theAmerican Society for Dermatologic Surgery) as well as some incredibly generous dermatologists do exist who will spend time with you to teach you new skills.
5. Seriously seek your patients’ feedback. Of course, I think that I have the perfect practice with no room for improvement. To prove this, I started asking my patients to fill out random surveys years ago.We do this with all of our patients from time to time.
What I learned from this exercise was astounding. Patients have totally different perspectives than physicians. Patients may focus on the temperature of the waiting room or the age of the
magazines, or they may let you know that they appreciate that your office calls the day after a procedure. But the bottom line is — you never know what they’re thinking unless you ask.
Surveys are worthwhile because they tell you how you and your staff are perceived by your patients. In addition, we use the surveys as a basis for our year-end bonuses. Employees who
consistently go out of their way for patients are recognized. The survey process also helps you recognize and weed out the staff members who don’t care about your patients.
As you know, the competition for cosmetic dermatology patients is significant, and if your employees don’t provide decent service, your patients will walk across the hall or down the
block. Remember, we’re also competing with that day spa down the road that has a gynecologist injecting Botox.
6. It’s important how you treat your staff. You may not want to admit it or to fully realize this, but employees can make or break your practice. Your patients will confide things to them that they will never tell you. A good medical assistant can begin a conversation about Botox or Cosmoplast in a casual way that a physician never could.
In my office, I try to make the employees happy to whatever extent possible. For instance, we have an annual trip (this year to New Orleans) and a few other nice amenities that I think make our office an attractive place to work. Although I’m demanding, I am also fair. I try to educate my employees about procedures and encourage them to pursue further education. Admittedly, there’s some risk to educating employees and teaching them new skills — to the extent that you’re competing with yourself and may find yourself outbid for their talents.
However, this is a risk, and you need to decide whether to take it. I’ve lost one stellar employee and almost lost another, but the one that I almost lost has since returned and is a cornerstone of the practice. Her new clinical skills are an asset. Whether I can afford her
when she gets her M.B.A. is another story, but I hope that by then I’ll have grown the practice enough to retain her.
LEARNING THE EASY WAY
Some of the tips I’ve shared I’ve learned the hard way, and some the easy way. Hopefully, I’ve helped you glean a bit of advice from my experiences. In the months ahead, I’ll share a mix of clinical and practice management topics regarding techniques and strategies that have worked for my practice. I look forward to hearing your comments!
As the new columnist for "Cosmetic Clinic," I was asked to write aobut how I built a successful cosmetic dermatology practice in a zip code filled with plastic surgeons. So, I sat down and thought about what had transpired over the past 10 years and came up with this list of things. While most of them are really common sense, I think they bear repeating. Here, I'll share them with you.
1. the most important aspect of my practice . . . . this is quite simple — be a good doctor and care about your patients. Perhaps it's a "sixth sense," or perhaps it's the way one carries one's self, but I believe that most patients can tell when you are listening to their concers and trying to address them. Patients intuitively know when physicians have reached a point in their careers when they know what's right for their patients better than the patient does — and I know that patients don't like this. So, in my attempt to never get to this point, I always try to hear what the patient is saying and determine whether the goals he or she has are realistic.
2. Some patients are never going to be happy. When I started my practice, it would concern me immeasurably when a patient wasn’t satisfied with an outcome. After a while, I realized that there are simply some people in life who are never happy. Once I accepted this fact, I came up with a good solution for these patients. I routinely refer them to one of my colleagues who I
think is ideally suited for them.
3. Trying to save patients money can often backfire. This source of discontent for some of my cosmetic patients turned out to be a surprise to me. By doing what I thought was medically and economically reasonable, I didn’t meet some patients’ expectations. To avoid this from happening, I now specifically outline for patients what it will take to attain a given result. In addition, I’m as clear as possible in discussing the costs involved in attaining these results, as well as the costs involved in touch-up procedures.
My consent forms for all procedures now have a line describing all cosmetic
procedures as a “process,” rather than as discrete procedures. I also mention
the possibility that an enhancement may be necessary in the future for
optimum results. The fact that such an enhancement would be charged to the
patient is also spelled out in the consent form.
4. Reach out to colleagues who are experts when you’re learning to perfect your technique. When I was a resident, it became clear that the physicians who ran my program did not think that cosmetic dermatology was at all worthwhile. While my teachers were waxing nostalgic about the manifestations of syphilis, I wanted to learn about lasers and other cosmetic-related procedures.
So, I ordered collagen to the clinic to learn to inject it. The faculty was aghast. Needless to say, in this environment it was difficult to learn the skills needed for cosmetic dermatology.
Fortunately, Chicago has a wealth of good dermatologists and several, paricularly, Brian Cook, M.D., were kind enough to train me in procedures I wanted to learn.
It amazed me then, and still does to this day, how much I can learn by picking up the phone and calling an expert in a particular technique and asking if I can spend a day or two watching this
person so that I can perfect my own technique. The take-home messages here are to not only reach out to colleagues who know more than you, but also take the time that’s needed to spend on perfecting your technique.
Several programs (including a great preceptorship program with theAmerican Society for Dermatologic Surgery) as well as some incredibly generous dermatologists do exist who will spend time with you to teach you new skills.
5. Seriously seek your patients’ feedback. Of course, I think that I have the perfect practice with no room for improvement. To prove this, I started asking my patients to fill out random surveys years ago.We do this with all of our patients from time to time.
What I learned from this exercise was astounding. Patients have totally different perspectives than physicians. Patients may focus on the temperature of the waiting room or the age of the
magazines, or they may let you know that they appreciate that your office calls the day after a procedure. But the bottom line is — you never know what they’re thinking unless you ask.
Surveys are worthwhile because they tell you how you and your staff are perceived by your patients. In addition, we use the surveys as a basis for our year-end bonuses. Employees who
consistently go out of their way for patients are recognized. The survey process also helps you recognize and weed out the staff members who don’t care about your patients.
As you know, the competition for cosmetic dermatology patients is significant, and if your employees don’t provide decent service, your patients will walk across the hall or down the
block. Remember, we’re also competing with that day spa down the road that has a gynecologist injecting Botox.
6. It’s important how you treat your staff. You may not want to admit it or to fully realize this, but employees can make or break your practice. Your patients will confide things to them that they will never tell you. A good medical assistant can begin a conversation about Botox or Cosmoplast in a casual way that a physician never could.
In my office, I try to make the employees happy to whatever extent possible. For instance, we have an annual trip (this year to New Orleans) and a few other nice amenities that I think make our office an attractive place to work. Although I’m demanding, I am also fair. I try to educate my employees about procedures and encourage them to pursue further education. Admittedly, there’s some risk to educating employees and teaching them new skills — to the extent that you’re competing with yourself and may find yourself outbid for their talents.
However, this is a risk, and you need to decide whether to take it. I’ve lost one stellar employee and almost lost another, but the one that I almost lost has since returned and is a cornerstone of the practice. Her new clinical skills are an asset. Whether I can afford her
when she gets her M.B.A. is another story, but I hope that by then I’ll have grown the practice enough to retain her.
LEARNING THE EASY WAY
Some of the tips I’ve shared I’ve learned the hard way, and some the easy way. Hopefully, I’ve helped you glean a bit of advice from my experiences. In the months ahead, I’ll share a mix of clinical and practice management topics regarding techniques and strategies that have worked for my practice. I look forward to hearing your comments!
As the new columnist for "Cosmetic Clinic," I was asked to write aobut how I built a successful cosmetic dermatology practice in a zip code filled with plastic surgeons. So, I sat down and thought about what had transpired over the past 10 years and came up with this list of things. While most of them are really common sense, I think they bear repeating. Here, I'll share them with you.
1. the most important aspect of my practice . . . . this is quite simple — be a good doctor and care about your patients. Perhaps it's a "sixth sense," or perhaps it's the way one carries one's self, but I believe that most patients can tell when you are listening to their concers and trying to address them. Patients intuitively know when physicians have reached a point in their careers when they know what's right for their patients better than the patient does — and I know that patients don't like this. So, in my attempt to never get to this point, I always try to hear what the patient is saying and determine whether the goals he or she has are realistic.
2. Some patients are never going to be happy. When I started my practice, it would concern me immeasurably when a patient wasn’t satisfied with an outcome. After a while, I realized that there are simply some people in life who are never happy. Once I accepted this fact, I came up with a good solution for these patients. I routinely refer them to one of my colleagues who I
think is ideally suited for them.
3. Trying to save patients money can often backfire. This source of discontent for some of my cosmetic patients turned out to be a surprise to me. By doing what I thought was medically and economically reasonable, I didn’t meet some patients’ expectations. To avoid this from happening, I now specifically outline for patients what it will take to attain a given result. In addition, I’m as clear as possible in discussing the costs involved in attaining these results, as well as the costs involved in touch-up procedures.
My consent forms for all procedures now have a line describing all cosmetic
procedures as a “process,” rather than as discrete procedures. I also mention
the possibility that an enhancement may be necessary in the future for
optimum results. The fact that such an enhancement would be charged to the
patient is also spelled out in the consent form.
4. Reach out to colleagues who are experts when you’re learning to perfect your technique. When I was a resident, it became clear that the physicians who ran my program did not think that cosmetic dermatology was at all worthwhile. While my teachers were waxing nostalgic about the manifestations of syphilis, I wanted to learn about lasers and other cosmetic-related procedures.
So, I ordered collagen to the clinic to learn to inject it. The faculty was aghast. Needless to say, in this environment it was difficult to learn the skills needed for cosmetic dermatology.
Fortunately, Chicago has a wealth of good dermatologists and several, paricularly, Brian Cook, M.D., were kind enough to train me in procedures I wanted to learn.
It amazed me then, and still does to this day, how much I can learn by picking up the phone and calling an expert in a particular technique and asking if I can spend a day or two watching this
person so that I can perfect my own technique. The take-home messages here are to not only reach out to colleagues who know more than you, but also take the time that’s needed to spend on perfecting your technique.
Several programs (including a great preceptorship program with theAmerican Society for Dermatologic Surgery) as well as some incredibly generous dermatologists do exist who will spend time with you to teach you new skills.
5. Seriously seek your patients’ feedback. Of course, I think that I have the perfect practice with no room for improvement. To prove this, I started asking my patients to fill out random surveys years ago.We do this with all of our patients from time to time.
What I learned from this exercise was astounding. Patients have totally different perspectives than physicians. Patients may focus on the temperature of the waiting room or the age of the
magazines, or they may let you know that they appreciate that your office calls the day after a procedure. But the bottom line is — you never know what they’re thinking unless you ask.
Surveys are worthwhile because they tell you how you and your staff are perceived by your patients. In addition, we use the surveys as a basis for our year-end bonuses. Employees who
consistently go out of their way for patients are recognized. The survey process also helps you recognize and weed out the staff members who don’t care about your patients.
As you know, the competition for cosmetic dermatology patients is significant, and if your employees don’t provide decent service, your patients will walk across the hall or down the
block. Remember, we’re also competing with that day spa down the road that has a gynecologist injecting Botox.
6. It’s important how you treat your staff. You may not want to admit it or to fully realize this, but employees can make or break your practice. Your patients will confide things to them that they will never tell you. A good medical assistant can begin a conversation about Botox or Cosmoplast in a casual way that a physician never could.
In my office, I try to make the employees happy to whatever extent possible. For instance, we have an annual trip (this year to New Orleans) and a few other nice amenities that I think make our office an attractive place to work. Although I’m demanding, I am also fair. I try to educate my employees about procedures and encourage them to pursue further education. Admittedly, there’s some risk to educating employees and teaching them new skills — to the extent that you’re competing with yourself and may find yourself outbid for their talents.
However, this is a risk, and you need to decide whether to take it. I’ve lost one stellar employee and almost lost another, but the one that I almost lost has since returned and is a cornerstone of the practice. Her new clinical skills are an asset. Whether I can afford her
when she gets her M.B.A. is another story, but I hope that by then I’ll have grown the practice enough to retain her.
LEARNING THE EASY WAY
Some of the tips I’ve shared I’ve learned the hard way, and some the easy way. Hopefully, I’ve helped you glean a bit of advice from my experiences. In the months ahead, I’ll share a mix of clinical and practice management topics regarding techniques and strategies that have worked for my practice. I look forward to hearing your comments!
Current Issue
October 2024
Volume 32
Issue 7
Subscribe
The Dermatologist Newsletter
