Tip 1: Discussing CME With Other Health Care Providers
When speaking to general practitioners, nurses, or physician assistants on a dermatology topic, I find the following tips helpful:
• You can never have too many pictures—make sure pictures are not only plentiful, but take up most of the screen and have high resolution (not pixelated/fuzzy).
• Never put down or pick on an attendee.
• Leave time for questions and answers during the presentation and at the end; let attendees know that they can ask questions throughout while it is fresh on their minds.
• Liven up the presentation with cartoons, humor, interesting quotes, or a video.
• Try to be humble.
• Keep it practical by presenting cases and common scenarios.
• Pass out business cards and make it clear that you are always happy to see new patients and will squeeze in emergencies where possible.
• If there is pharmaceutical sponsorship for the talk, do not forget to thank the sponsor company and representative at the beginning and end of your presentation, and to thank the group for their participation.
• Contact the group after your talk and thank them again for their participation and offer to provide more continuing medical education in the future.
Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC
Toronto, Canada
Tip 2: Discussing Nonsurgical Cosmetic Options With Patients
When discussing nonsurgical cosmetic options with patients, it is very important to ask them what bothers them the most. We make a list of 3 things and then create a treatment plan, that includes specific procedures for each problem and the cost of each. Do not be afraid to discuss price of cosmetic procedures with your patients. Unless you have a dedicated person in your office who discusses pricing, do not just leave it up to your staff. I write down prices of all procedures we discuss on my “cosmetic menu.” This way patients can be sure they can afford the procedure and there is no question when it comes to payment.
Gary Goldenberg, MD
New York, NY
Tip 3: Documenting the Treatment Process
The best thing I have ever done for marketing has been to start taking pictures of my patients on most visits. This includes 3 views (front, right side, and left side) of every acne patient on every visit.
The impact of these before and after pictures has been great, as our electronic medical records system (Nextech) allows us to show side-by-side views to the patients. On multiple occasions, we have had patients who chose to rate us on websites such as RateMDs or Google on the pictures they were shown. Additionally, we have often been able to use these pictures to determine either the efficacy or lack thereof of a current treatment protocol.
Generally, taking these pictures is a simple process with our iPad system, and each image is high quality. I view the photos with each patient to make sure they are the ones I want, and often take more if I am not satisfied. Additionally, they provide a great way to follow skin cancer patients, especially at biopsy sites and when lesions appear suddenly.
Joel Schlessinger, MD, FAAD, FAACS
Omaha, NE
Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
Tip 1: Discussing CME With Other Health Care Providers
When speaking to general practitioners, nurses, or physician assistants on a dermatology topic, I find the following tips helpful:
• You can never have too many pictures—make sure pictures are not only plentiful, but take up most of the screen and have high resolution (not pixelated/fuzzy).
• Never put down or pick on an attendee.
• Leave time for questions and answers during the presentation and at the end; let attendees know that they can ask questions throughout while it is fresh on their minds.
• Liven up the presentation with cartoons, humor, interesting quotes, or a video.
• Try to be humble.
• Keep it practical by presenting cases and common scenarios.
• Pass out business cards and make it clear that you are always happy to see new patients and will squeeze in emergencies where possible.
• If there is pharmaceutical sponsorship for the talk, do not forget to thank the sponsor company and representative at the beginning and end of your presentation, and to thank the group for their participation.
• Contact the group after your talk and thank them again for their participation and offer to provide more continuing medical education in the future.
Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC
Toronto, Canada
Tip 2: Discussing Nonsurgical Cosmetic Options With Patients
When discussing nonsurgical cosmetic options with patients, it is very important to ask them what bothers them the most. We make a list of 3 things and then create a treatment plan, that includes specific procedures for each problem and the cost of each. Do not be afraid to discuss price of cosmetic procedures with your patients. Unless you have a dedicated person in your office who discusses pricing, do not just leave it up to your staff. I write down prices of all procedures we discuss on my “cosmetic menu.” This way patients can be sure they can afford the procedure and there is no question when it comes to payment.
Gary Goldenberg, MD
New York, NY
Tip 3: Documenting the Treatment Process
The best thing I have ever done for marketing has been to start taking pictures of my patients on most visits. This includes 3 views (front, right side, and left side) of every acne patient on every visit.
The impact of these before and after pictures has been great, as our electronic medical records system (Nextech) allows us to show side-by-side views to the patients. On multiple occasions, we have had patients who chose to rate us on websites such as RateMDs or Google on the pictures they were shown. Additionally, we have often been able to use these pictures to determine either the efficacy or lack thereof of a current treatment protocol.
Generally, taking these pictures is a simple process with our iPad system, and each image is high quality. I view the photos with each patient to make sure they are the ones I want, and often take more if I am not satisfied. Additionally, they provide a great way to follow skin cancer patients, especially at biopsy sites and when lesions appear suddenly.
Joel Schlessinger, MD, FAAD, FAACS
Omaha, NE
Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
Tip 1: Discussing CME With Other Health Care Providers
When speaking to general practitioners, nurses, or physician assistants on a dermatology topic, I find the following tips helpful:
• You can never have too many pictures—make sure pictures are not only plentiful, but take up most of the screen and have high resolution (not pixelated/fuzzy).
• Never put down or pick on an attendee.
• Leave time for questions and answers during the presentation and at the end; let attendees know that they can ask questions throughout while it is fresh on their minds.
• Liven up the presentation with cartoons, humor, interesting quotes, or a video.
• Try to be humble.
• Keep it practical by presenting cases and common scenarios.
• Pass out business cards and make it clear that you are always happy to see new patients and will squeeze in emergencies where possible.
• If there is pharmaceutical sponsorship for the talk, do not forget to thank the sponsor company and representative at the beginning and end of your presentation, and to thank the group for their participation.
• Contact the group after your talk and thank them again for their participation and offer to provide more continuing medical education in the future.
Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC
Toronto, Canada
Tip 2: Discussing Nonsurgical Cosmetic Options With Patients
When discussing nonsurgical cosmetic options with patients, it is very important to ask them what bothers them the most. We make a list of 3 things and then create a treatment plan, that includes specific procedures for each problem and the cost of each. Do not be afraid to discuss price of cosmetic procedures with your patients. Unless you have a dedicated person in your office who discusses pricing, do not just leave it up to your staff. I write down prices of all procedures we discuss on my “cosmetic menu.” This way patients can be sure they can afford the procedure and there is no question when it comes to payment.
Gary Goldenberg, MD
New York, NY
Tip 3: Documenting the Treatment Process
The best thing I have ever done for marketing has been to start taking pictures of my patients on most visits. This includes 3 views (front, right side, and left side) of every acne patient on every visit.
The impact of these before and after pictures has been great, as our electronic medical records system (Nextech) allows us to show side-by-side views to the patients. On multiple occasions, we have had patients who chose to rate us on websites such as RateMDs or Google on the pictures they were shown. Additionally, we have often been able to use these pictures to determine either the efficacy or lack thereof of a current treatment protocol.
Generally, taking these pictures is a simple process with our iPad system, and each image is high quality. I view the photos with each patient to make sure they are the ones I want, and often take more if I am not satisfied. Additionally, they provide a great way to follow skin cancer patients, especially at biopsy sites and when lesions appear suddenly.
Joel Schlessinger, MD, FAAD, FAACS
Omaha, NE
Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
