How to Increase Chances of Becoming a Primary Caregiver

Primary care is a term used for the activity of a health care provider who acts as a first point of consultation for all patients. Generally, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, and physician assistants are based in the community, as opposed to the hospital. Alternative names for the field are "general practice" and "family medicine."

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A Practice or Hospital
• A Medical Degree
• Patients
• Great Reputation
• Published articles
• Community time

1. Ways to increase your chances is to become more visible around the community. To get your name out there you need to establish first and foremost a name as a great doctor. The way to do this is being published in more and more medical journals as well as offering specials on care.
2. Specials on Care can range from free birth consultations to flu shots for free if multiple family members sign up under your care. The key is to offer more than another physician may be able to offer. Also making sure you treat each patient as if they are their own is the best feeling. My uncle is a Dr and I go to him by choice. He is extremely nice not only because I am his nephew but because he strives to know every patient
3. Learned to know what patients are like; do they like to fish, play soccer, go hiking; have any things in common with you or possibly one of your children. A real key to gaining respect in the community as an individual as well as a doctor is donating your time and effort when it is available.
4. For instance providing help to the red cross or a homeless shelter as a doctor once a month is a credible way to support the community. You gain valuable experience as well as develop a reputation as someone who is interested in what the community has to offer.
5. Also one good thing is to ask patients what they would like in the office. Maybe it is as simple as having more magazines or different choices of reading material that other physicians do not have. All in all the key to getting more patients to come to you is to put yourself out there and make sure your name is a good one. Reputation is your savior.

Tips & Warnings

• Become involved with the community
• Enhance your abilities by volunteering your time with Red Cross or homeless shelters in the area and accept recognition greatly
• Publish any studies you do and make sure to let people know about them
• Word of mouth is viral marketing about yourself personally and the more of it there is the more people you will find on your doorstep wanting you as their personal physician.
• Offer things other doctor's do not - non boring reading material, access to the internet in your office while patients wait, or even free flu shots when more than one family member becomes your patients. Every little bit will help
• Patient and Dr. Relationships as made to be professional. Never cross into the personal realm other than common ground - Do you like fishing? Hiking? Soccer? Learning little things is great, but losing patients is reality as a doctor.
• Don't harp over a lost patient - go out and find three to replace that one and triple your clientele.
• Make sure to keep a good reputation this is the most important thing - A great book to read is called 48 laws of power and it stresses the fact that your reputation is the #1 thing you need to protect.