What can I do to earn your business?

[RadOncLova]

I am a soon-to-be graduating resident in radonc entering a PP position in a competitive market. I am very excited to be finishing and even more excited to be joining this great group.

Up until now (throughout training), my referrals have come by nature of the department that I work in. In my next position, I will be expected to build a service. Obviously that means earning your trust so you'll send me patients.

My question is this: What are the qualities that a radonc might have that would make you want to refer your patients to them? What can I do (as a newly minted radonc) to earn your referrals in a market where you have other options?

Thank you in advance.

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[gutonc]

You need to be everywhere and available at any time. Find every tumor board in the area and be there. Speak up. Introduce yourself to everybody. Get close to one or two (or 5 or 6) people in surgical and interventional specialties (for me this is GI, pulm and a couple of colorectal and hepatobiliary surgeons) who I know will refer to me. Focus on younger folks and other new people in the area. The GI doc I get 4-6 referrals/month from has 12 other partners, I can count on 1 hand the # of referrals I've gotten from the rest of his partners in the last 3 years...F them, I'm not going to change their referral patterns (and I've tried). Same with pulm (3 new pulm docs send me most of their cases, the older folks only when they have to...again, whatever, I'm busy enough as it is).

Talk about what's unique about your training, experience, practice, etc. Develop a subspecialty but take care of everyone sent your way. Be up to date (I've never found this to be an issue with Rad Oncs to be honest).

Expect it to take time. I'm not a Rad Onc but it took about a year and a half before people were referring "To Dr. Gutonc" rather than "To Dr. Gutonc's partners, but since they're on vacation and he's got availability this week, I guess he'll do".

 

[RadOncLova]

You need to be everywhere and available at any time. Find every tumor board in the area and be there. Speak up. Introduce yourself to everybody. Get close to one or two (or 5 or 6) people in surgical and interventional specialties (for me this is GI, pulm and a couple of colorectal and hepatobiliary surgeons) who I know will refer to me. Focus on younger folks and other new people in the area. The GI doc I get 4-6 referrals/month from has 12 other partners, I can count on 1 hand the # of referrals I've gotten from the rest of his partners in the last 3 years...F them, I'm not going to change their referral patterns (and I've tried). Same with pulm (3 new pulm docs send me most of their cases, the older folks only when they have to...again, whatever, I'm busy enough as it is).

Talk about what's unique about your training, experience, practice, etc. Develop a subspecialty but take care of everyone sent your way. Be up to date (I've never found this to be an issue with Rad Oncs to be honest).

Expect it to take time. I'm not a Rad Onc but it took about a year and a half before people were referring "To Dr. Gutonc" rather than "To Dr. Gutonc's partners, but since they're on vacation and he's got availability this week, I guess he'll do".

Thanks, Gutonc.

I see how you became established and I will absolutely take all of your advice.

Can I ask how you choose which radoncs to refer to?

 

[gutonc]

I will also say that, your new partners should have a vested interest in you becoming established and should be helping you to do some of these things.

As to which rad oncs I refer, I tend to go to the ones located in the same building as me because I know them well and trust them. They also have more advanced tech than some other folks in town.