The "Business" of Dermatology - An Editorial on Practice Management
The “Business” of Dermatology By Shawna A. Flanagan, MD Practice Management During medical school and training many decades ago, business classes were not part of most physician’s curriculum. It is possible friends or family members may have helped guide your decisions, as far as business decisions were concerned, but usually, most of us just figured it out on our own. That is how I did things when opening my office twenty years ago. I just winged it! Fast forward to 2018, and it seems like the time has come for dermatology to be part of the business world. If you attended the annual meeting this year, you might have noticed the overwhelming number of practice management booths. I receive several emails and letters every month with the offer to buy out my office and take over the “management.” In this month’s editorial , I will try to explain the business of dermatology, and this current “buy out” frenzy in an oversimplified version from a doctor, not an investment banker or...
