Promoting Your Practice

In this episode, our hosts Dr. Ashley Agan and Dr. Gopi Shah are joined by Dr. Eric Cerrati to discuss the different ways to promote a practice and the increasing role of social media in professional development.

Dr. Cerrati initially starts by describing how he set up his academic practice in Facial Plastic Surgery with a mix of cosmetic patients as well as reconstructive. He highlights the importance of outside marketing in addition to being affiliated with an academic center. These two can be different and both have pros and cons. He describes the use of Instagram and Facebook in marketing with somewhat a private practice mindset. The use of social media has also grown during the COVID pandemic due to an increased need to reach out to prospective interested students in programs across the country. Dr. Cerrati speaks then about the details, including demographics, that can be reached based on the specific social media platform used. He does highlight the importance of consistency and the way one chooses to present themselves on a social media platform. Balancing that which is appropriate for social media can be challenging, with the overarching theme of being honest and ethical. Patient consent is vital prior to sharing any form of media regarding them.

Dr. Cerrati goes on to talk about the risks of putting yourself out there and being in the constant public eye and risks that come with. In addition to social media, he continues to discuss the importance of building good collegial relationships with fellow physicians and taking care of patients referred to you while being respectful to the referring provider.

The discussion ends on the impact COVID has had on a private practice cosmetic setup, including considerations for COVID testing, role of virtual visits, and evaluation for surgery and follow-ups post-op. Dr. Cerrati ends on the important note of remaining flexible and continuing to work hard in the face of adversity, and growth will come.