I know practice has changed since I first started out, but I have a few suggestions for new chiropractors. By the time we are educated in our craft, we should be able to listen and get value from the mistakes and successes of those who have gone before us; our “ancestors,” so to speak. So, here are a few items you may find helpful, especially if you're new to the profession.
Don’t Skimp on Practice Insurance
Let’s start with perhaps the most boring issue: insurance. We all should have malpractice insurance, but property and casualty can be overlooked. In my early years in practice, I didn’t have it and I never had a conversation with any other DC that seemed to care about it. It was only when managed care networks demanded it for contracting that I ever considered it.
Patients have fallen in my office multiple times over the years. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. Some got dizzy, some just lost their balance and some just tripped over their own oxygen cart. No one ever asked for financial satisfaction, so I consider myself a lucky man every year when I pay my insurance premium.
Prepare to Save a Life
In my state, I am required to attend a basic life support class every two years. For years it was never a highlight of my continuing education. In fact, sometimes I would have preferred a slap in the face than attend those CPR classes.
But at some point, I changed my tune. My mood changed when I successfully used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a piece of fatty breakfast “steak” from a big guy in a diner. The gristle shot across the room, almost hitting an on-rushing paramedic. Yes, I felt heroic.
So now, when I attend a CPR class, I hope the instructor will ask if anyone ever had to use the Heimlich. I’m waiting to raise my hand! Colleagues, I think it is good every two years to be reminded not to use chest thrusting on a person who is still breathing.
Remember That You’re a Business Owner
One morning, I walked into the office and my assistant asked, “Dr. Hanks, how ‘bout a raise?” My face, I’m sure, showed surprise, but probably not my shame (I should have seen this coming!). Doctor types usually do not have the best business acumen.
If I could do it all again in those early, lean practice years, I would have worked a second job just to afford a business “coach.” At least a few times a year, it would have been extraordinarily helpful to have someone go down a checklist of stuff I overlooked, ignored or didn’t know about. I learned the hard way to have a written agreement with assistants, service contracts on the computers, copiers, and anything else that could break, etc. And then there are the quarterly tax payments…
Keep Yourself Current (Especially in the Digital Age)
Take a new, current picture of yourself, for any professional or classy occasion. I just changed mine (after about 40 years, I must admit). My friend, Dr. Ed, asked if my old photo was my Bar Mitzva picture. I’m not Jewish, but I believe I looked more than 12 years old in it!
A prime example of using a picture too long is George Goodhart DC, the legendary developer of the applied kinesiology technique. He used the same picture of himself looking smart and well-dressed from the time I started chiropractic school until I was almost ready to retire. (May he rest in peace.)
See What Patients See (Before They See It)
It almost seems unnecessary to say it, but keep your office clean! In my office, I too often followed the “out of sight, out of mind” rule. But sometimes when the sun shined through the window just right, I could see dust around the base of the adjusting table that was missed by the cleaning people.
It may be a curious phenomenon that if a healthcare provider is in an office space every day, he or she may lose the observational power of a guest. I once had a patient point out to me that I had several moths in the overhead light fixture. His supine perspective made it easy to spot them, whereas I never looked up there! It is embarrassing to see facial oil on the headrest from the last patient (that I missed or forget to clean) as I’m about to adjust the next person.
I could go on, giving old-timer advice on several topics, like “Don’t date your patients,” but enough already. I need a nap.
