For the past 7 weeks, I have been working on paperwork and other necessary items in order to start my medical practice. Maybe it is better that before one graduates from school, you really comprehend what is next. As a student, I worked with a practitioner whom had been in practice for less than 5 years. I smugly thought to myself that I had learned a lot about what starting a practice would be like. I saw a slow practice, with a single individual performing the role of physician, front desk and billing manager. Through that time I thought to myself, I can do this. If I had only known the hours of work required to just get to the point of having documents, sundries and seeing patients. For me, it has been now 7 weeks of pricing goods, ordering supplies, and endless hours waiting for phone calls or emails that arrive slowly if at all.
At times, I think to myself, why did I not do this or that while I was still in school. After these thoughts I remember, I worked like a crazy person during school and completed as much as I could. Now here I am spending money on rent for an office that has yet to see a patient. Many times a day I remind myself, that I am getting so much work done. It just happens to take a few hours to search 4 different vendors to price items before deciding where to place an order from. If my day is not spent pricing, I am returning phone calls, emails, registering for professional organizations and finalizing forms.
There have been small successes, being a consulted physician, scheduling 2 speaking engagements, and passed out upwards of 350 business cards. In addition, I have introduced myself and talked to any one who I could get to listen. For those individuals who thought after hearing the practices name and my specialty that I had nothing to offer them, I would ask a few choice questions to find out how I could make myself look desirable. Though this work has yet to lead to a scheduled appointment, I continue on-wards through the paperwork I need to finish and attempt to enjoy this time as it will never be quite like this again.