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Think You're Professional?

10 Tips for Polishing Your Image - Or Tarnishing It

By Francine R. Gaillour, MD

As physicians, we place a lot of value on the tangible results we produce — the gallbladder removed, the baby delivered, the hypertension controlled. On the other hand, some of us may tend to discount the work of our nonphysician business colleagues —"suits," mere administrators, occupied in endless meetings, mired in paperwork. What, we wonder, ever comes of that?

To solidify your role as a leader in your practice, and to make your ideas a vital component of the bigger healthcare picture, a new way of looking at the business side of things may be in order. You need to consider business activities — and medicine is a business as well as a calling — as a springboard for launching new products and services, keeping departments running well, and promoting the aspirations of your staff and fellow physicians.

Taking an idea and making it tangible is what businesspeople do. It's how we came to have the medical devices and processes that make our lives easier every day, from electronic medical records to billing systems to our answering service. It's how we go about putting great improvements into our practices, like telephone triage systems and staff cross-training and having each of our exam rooms set up exactly the same way.

With that said, you have to realize that sometimes we physicians come off as less-than-polished professionals. Don't assume that having an "MD" or "DO" or "PhD" after your name equals de facto professionalism. Nor should you assume that you need an MBA to be taken seriously.

It all starts with the basic courtesies and demeanor of an executive who can be trusted with an organization's business, money, customers, and project teams. If this is who you want to be, check yourself against these essential do's and don'ts.

Keep meetings and appointments
Arrive at meetings on time or early
Listen before speaking
Return phone calls within eight hours; reply to e-mail within 24 hours
Be prepared by reviewing materials before a meeting
Be brief and to the point when expressing your views
Smile and be pleasant in conversation
Say "thank you" and send thank-you notes, either handwritten or by e-mail
Use proper table etiquette when eating
Dress in a neat, well-fitting business casual style (if that's your practice culture or business suit (underneath your white lab coat)

DON'T

Smoke in the presence of others or before a meeting
Use foul language
Make sexist or racist remarks
Gossip or share confidential information
Tell crude jokes, even if a colleague does
Drink to the point of inebriation at business social events
Express your views in a way that embarrasses another person
Talk or act rudely to assistants, secretaries, receptionists, or clerks
Wear heavy perfume or cologne during business meetings or events
Answer or talk on your cell phone just before or during a meeting, unless you are on call and expecting to be called (otherwise just turn it off).

Reproduced with the permission of Physican Practice

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