Women's Dermatologic Society

  By the WDS Practice Advisory Committee   From Dr. Shawna Flanagan: I always demand that my non-clinician staff be as friendly and welcoming as possible to every single patient as well as to each other. Everyone has a bad day every once in a while but if people around you are upbeat and pleasant it can turn your frown upside down. “Kill them with kindness” is the motto of my team.   From Dr. Alyx Rosen (@alyxrosenmd_derm on Instagram): Be prepared for surgical cases before they arrive.   The Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS) Practice Advisory Committee supports dermatologists at any stage of their career looking to manage or start their own practice by offering resources on navigating the practice environment. Visit the WDS blog for more tips and advice.   Download a PDF Version

  By the WDS Practice Advisory Committee From Dr. Sarah Harvey: The most important feature of a successful partnership is sharing the same values and goals for the practice. It is wonderful to have your own interests, but the values that govern your practice should align and you should be honest and upfront about goals for the future and whether they are compatible. From Dr. Una Miniter: An ideal partnership is mutually beneficial with a non-competitor who has a similar demographic/clientele. An obvious and key partnership is with major referring sources: primary care. For the first referral from an office, call personally with a plan and thank them for the referral. Meet and greet or attend happy hours with other doctors in your area so they can get to know and trust you. Communication is key. Maintain regular and consistent communication with major referral sources. Perhaps you have a med derm or cosmetic niche that other derms in your area do not have. Get to know your colle...

  By the WDS Practice Advisory Committee   From Dr. Sarah Harvey:   The key for me for retaining excellent staff is to ensure that they know they are a valued part of the team. Frequent, specific, positive feedback and expressions of gratitude help my nurses feel appreciated and helps reinforce the qualities I am looking for in my staff. I think it is also very important to listen to any concerns that are voiced or ideas for changes in our process. It can be very disheartening to feel like you are not being listened to and this is a common reason for turnover. The occasional free office lunch or coffee break can go a long way, too!  From Dr. Shawna Flanagan:   Be an office that accepts externs in a Medical Assisting training program. We have a local Medical Assisting vocational program that we participate with and I have hired two of my best medical assistants from this externship. The externship is a great way to get to know someone and experience the “honeymoo...