A picture is worth a thousand words...

... and here it is. The Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis -- courtesy of the personal finance blog, mintTM  

Angry primary care physicians are just saying "no"

Guess what? Docs are in the news today - specifically primary care physicians who are mad and apparently aren't going to take it any longer.

• Up to 50% of primary care docs intend to cut back or quit (Physicians Foundation report released today).
• 60% of 12,000 general practice physicians surveyed said they would not recommend medicine as a career.
• South Florida... is hit hard, with dozens or even hundreds of primary-care doctors giving up their practices in recent years because of slow-growing income, increased business headaches and unpredictable hours.
• Only 2% of medical students are considering going into primary care as internists.

Hear for yourself: 

So what's next for doctors? Care to share your plans?

And what's going to happen to us all when we really need care?

Update on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 11:57AM by Philippa Kennealy

Here's a helpful piece from the ACP, along with their link to their white paper.

Social media marketing and the astute physician business owner

As a business coach to entrepreneurial physicians, I've almost forgotten about that time when I didn't have a clue about blogging, let alone Facebook or Twitter.

And the value of these exercises in apparent self-absorption (after all - who cares to read a tweet about your dog producing a hairball, or your steak-and-fries dinner?) took me some time to appreciate. It's challenging to introduce these ideas to physician social media "newbies" who don't have time to go to the bathroom let alone tweet about it!

So I'm happy when name-recognized marketers put out handy explanations of why one should care about modern marketing -- it makes my job easier.

The new ebook "Let's Talk - Social Media for Small Business" by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing (in another of his inspired joint ventures, this time with Microsoft -- lessons to be learned there!) gives a succinct overview of the new tools of social media marketing and why/how to use them effectively.
(You do have to undergo the somewhat painful step of signing up with Windows Live to get the download).

As he writes:

Today’s approach to marketing, the approach infused with social media, leans much more
heavily on the 4 Cs of marketing. Tons of relevant, education-based, and perhaps user-generated Content that is filtered, aggregated, and delivered in a Context that makes it useful for people who are starving to make Connections with people, products, and brands they can build a Community around.

Content + Context + Connections + Community = Social Media Marketing

Another useful resource, to be filed away for the day you decide to reach out as a Resource and Expert to reporters is "10 of the Best Social Media Tools for PR Professionals and Journalists". This post will only make sense once you have figured out the value of social media marketing -- so just hold onto it for future use.

I scan the Help A Reporter Out (HARO) emails that I get 2 or 3 times a day, to spot that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get direct access to a reporter who's dying to hear just what I have to say. And I certainly know several clients who would be great experts on many of the health topics. Check it out -- this may be your shortest cut to Wall Street Journal front page fame!

Whose politics help doctors the most?

For the first time since I landed on US soil some 24 years ago, I have been avidly following the presidential election and sitting through every minute of the debates. Until now, I have been interested, but not fascinated.

Of course, I have my own personal philosophies as well as my professional interests at stake, but since medicine is hurting so badly, I have been eager to read what the pundits have to say about the impact of the two campaign platforms on healthcare in general, and physicians in particular.

A recent article from HealthLeaders Media by Elias Bakhtiari, titled "How the Election Could Impact Physicians", sheds a small amount of light on the issues.

And over at the Health Affairs blog, there is a handy compilation of articles comparing, contrasting and commenting on the plans.

Hopefully you will find at least some of this useful!

And of course, you will sally forth on November 4th and vote, won't you?

Welcome SEAKers!

I am on beautiful and chilly Cape Cod having presented this morning to a large crowd of physicians who are contemplating a change in career.

Having just gotten in from a brisk walk on the beach to get in quick touch with nature between lectures, I want to welcome all of the SEAK physician attendees who might stop by to check me and my website out.

Hello and welcome to The Entrepreneurial MD!

I invite you to browse to your heart's content here - you'll discover ideas, the personal stories of physicians who have made changes in their professional lives (in the Conversations with Trailblazers podcasts) and hopefully much to inspire and motivate you.

And since I forgot to mention how to sign up for the free teleclass on Creating Your Own Happiness with scientist/psychologist Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, you can do so here on the Classes Page.

I wish you well in your exploration and journey and I am always available to listen or offer assistance, no matter how small it may seem to you!

And for those of you reading this who haven't attended a SEAK Non-clinical Careers for Physicians conference, I would highly recommend this excellent meeting next year - the standard of speakers and range of topics is great!