He Asked

From time to time, I still get taken in. From the comments:

Dear Dinosaur #1,

I always get a chuckle out of your blog. From where I stand, you have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the practice of medicine. Please forgive my unorthodox communiqué. Although I have never left a message on a blog before, I do hope this one reaches you.

I’m an ophthalmologist and I would like to ask you for a favor. My wife is also an M.D. She and I have put together a report describing 8 ways physicians in private practice can ethically and professionally make their practice more profitable. I would be most indebted if you would be kind enough to read our report and let me know your thoughts.

With appreciation,
Robert

Followed by contact info, including phone numbers and website.

So like someone with nothing better to do, I went over and checked out the site. Sure enough, it's nothing but marketing mumbo-jumbo purporting to provide all kinds of help to physicians to increase their practice income...and for only $6,700 for their "Guided Practice-Building System(tm)" [yes, apparently it's actually trademarked] which includes both pre-recorded audio consultation and 10 hours of one-on-one telephone consultation, plus unlimited fax and email questions during the "consultation period."

Or, if you want more, you can have their Two-Day, On-Site, Practice-Building Assessment & Consultation, which also includes staff coaching, patient satisfaction evaluation and a 30 day period of unlimited email and fax communication to assist in implementing recommendations along with 4 more fifteen minute phone consultations. That's only $15,900.

Seems to me like the best way to make money is no longer actually practicing medicine, but rather selling practice management and consulting services to other suckers doctors.

There was a contact page where I could address my response in private, but it had a 1000 character limit. So, in response to the direct request for my thoughts, here they are:

Dear Dr. Karlsberg;

Thanks for your comment on my blog. I perused your website, downloaded and read your "7 Barriers" report. Here is my assessment:

You may very well be an ophthalmologist, but what you and your MD wife are now doing is providing highly priced marketing services to gullible physicians that appears aimed primarily at positioning them to go to a cash-only and/or concierge model practice. Your slick website (which really is lovely) and extensive use of marketing jargon -- most of which is meaninglessly generic -- seems intended to intimidate potential doctor-clients into thinking you are offering something of value.

Bottom line: thanks, but no thanks. Personally, I feel I have a good handle on my practice's financial issues, and in fact I am moving towards a cash-only model in the next few years. As for other docs, mainly struggling FPs, I would discourage them from spending the kind of money you are charging for what appears, in my opinion, to be a very marginal benefit and extremely unlikely to produce any significant return on the investment.

Best,
#1 Dinosaur

Hey, he asked.