Are you a physician looking to change careers, a physician entrepreneur, or a physician consultant? Even if your goal is simply to expand your network, here are some valuable networking tips from Career Change Corner Guest Editor and mentor Dr. Michelle Mudge-Riley.
“Why should I network?
I get this question more often than you would think. Why? Because most doctors don’t understand what networking is or why it is important when looking to transition into a non-clinical career. They hear the term (which is often overused) and after an initial stab at calling up another doctor or an old college roommate, they move on and wonder, “OK, now what? Where’s that non-clinical job”?
One doctor I work with (and he’s given me permission to publicly write this) initially thought networking was about giving people complements and playing golf. That’s it.
If that’s what networking is, I don’t think I’d want to do it either. In fact, I know I wouldn’t. I don’t tell people they look nice if they don’t and I would rather go on a long run than play golf.
The question doctors in this position should really be asking is, “How do I network?” or “Where should I network?”
“How do I network”? That is a great question because if you are a doctor asking it, it means you are willing to take a look a new way of doing things. Medical school didn’t teach us networking. Internship and residency, even fellowship, didn’t really teach networking, other than giving us a chance to go to some neat conferences or do some rotations away from our home institution. Being out in practice builds on the skills learned in training – with the added administrative burdens – where new ways of thinking about practice style are put on onto the backburner by necessity.
In order to effectively network, you must be willing to expose yourself to trying new things like social media and calling up people you don’t know. It requires vulnerability on your part and the willingness to play the “student role”. Networking is simply reaching out to people you may know and those you may not know.
But here’s the real secret to networking. And it’s not giving false complements.
Doctors are inherently good at networking once they learn the secret because of the very nature of a doctor. We want to help people. And that, my friends and colleagues, is the most effective way to network – reach out to someone who you wish would help you and offer to help THEM.
Next time I’ll go more into the question “Where should I network?”
Until then, visit my website at www.phphysicians.com. You can contact me anytime.”
Michelle Mudge-Riley, D.O.
Website: http://www.phphysicians.com/
e-mail: mudgeriley at yahoo.com
Telephone: 804-334-7983
