Should doctors have a website?

It is now becoming imperative for a Doctor to have a website. With the Medical tourism industry taking off, Internet is the most turned to source for getting medical information and searching for a doctor. For an overseas patient, it is most comforting to put a face to a name and also see pictures of the clinic / hospital facilities.
Some doctors fear that having a website may be seen as advertising, it should be best understood as the only way of educating patients and facilitating useful information. Doctor can “refer” patients to your website at the end of the consultation, so they can educate themselves. It has also been found useful in imparting knowledge on post operative care to the patients. For doctors in private practice, the website provides value-added services for the existing and new patients, by providing details as to the timings of the clinic and how to get to the clinic. Doctors could also offer convenience of getting online appointment and accessing patient records. It is also a very powerful tool for enabling contact between Doctor and Patient.While having a website is one thing, Doctors must have realistic expectations of what their website can do for them. In India, the number of Internet users is not yet as high as in the USA, so Doctors should not expect patients to start pouring immediately with the website goes live. Just having a website is not enough – remember that there are over a million websites out there. Doctors need to promote their website actively. Online promotion usually means registering the site with all the relevant search engines, so people can “find” you. Today the “Online Social Media” also plays an important role. Having cross linking with popular health portals can help patients get access to your website. Offline promotion plays a very important role. Having the web URL on your Visiting Card / Prescription and in the waiting area can be very useful.
Today, getting a website does not cost much. You could get a website listing for as low as Rs. 2500/- and a website with own domain for about Rs. 5000/-. Many doctors do go in for a custom made website which can cost anything between Rs. 15000/- to Rs 50,000/- depending on the functionalities being provided and the team developing it. Developing a website and maintaining it can be time consuming and is better left to the professionals. There are many companies developing websites in India, but then there are a few that specialize in healthcare domain. Mansai Media (www.mansaimedia.com/medicalwebsite ) is one such company. The company offers not only websites but also doctors listing. Basic listing for the doctors comes free of cost. The company also takes up assignments to create a professional image for your clinic which includes logo and stationery design.

Interview tips

INTERVIEW TIPS

Finally the interview call letter is in your hand! The organization thinks you may be the right person for the job, and so it entails that you ought to vindicate his thoughts. If you really want to make it, it’s important that you prepare yourself for the interview and brush aside all nervousness and negative feelings.

Going through the following interview tips and practicing them might just do the trick and clinch the job for you!

INTERVIEW TIPS:

Take some time out and do some research on the organization. Go through its website carefully, noting down its profile and details about its other aspects such as operations, its statistics, product profile and services among others.

Make a checklist of things or issues you do not want to talk about. This is because, usually during interviews candidates tend to talk bout things they never intended to and offer uncalled for information. Making a checklist will ensure you do not broach those topics unless pointed questions are asked, in which case you need to be honest and to the point. It is also wise to remember to avoid talking about irrelevant issues like your petty habits or your family’s medical history!

A prospective employer may also want to gauge how you react to pressure. So some tricky questions may be asked with an intention of catching you unawares or throwing you off balance. Just be aware of this possibility and maintain your cool.

While you should answer the questions of your interviewer as naturally as possible, your answers should reflect the following traits on your part:


a) clarity of thoughts and intentions
b) maturity
c) honesty
d) presence of mind
e) open to new ideas
f) fine conceptualization skills
g) sound knowledge of the fundamentals

Dress up formally and neatly. Your dressing style and grooming is strong indicator of your personality and forms the first impression. Therefore it is imperative you are formally dressed and neatly groomed, taking care that your hair is trimmed and shoes polished. At the same time, don’t overdress!

Read up the day’s news paper so that you are aware of the current issues as your employer might want o test your knowledge of issues in the limelight.

Carry all your important documents such as the call letter, your resume, certificates and your references neatly filed in a folder and do check them before you leave for the interview.

It is better that you travel with a time and tested mode of travel , rather than experimenting with something new, as you could end up being late. It is better to reach the interview venue 10-15 minutes before the allotted time.

Making your perferct resume

THE PERFECT RESUME

The resume is what initially speaks for you. It is a vital document that has the potential of impressing the employer and clinching the job for you. It is an important tool in your hand that might just get you the job you want. Therefore, it is imperative that your resume be nothing less than perfect!


Where do I begin?

IDENTIFY YOUR GOAL: before you begin, it is important that you identify the kind of work you want to do. For example, if you want to continue in the same field and job profile you have been working on till now, you don’t need to think much, but in case you want switch your job profile or diversify into a related field, you will have to identify your goal. This may require you to introspect and do some self assessment.

Once you have identified your goal, you have a target job in mind. This will help you to include all the details that will be relevant to the job you are seeking.

UNEARTH ALL YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Spot out and write down all your qualifications and achievements till date. This will include your educational qualifications, work history and/or training certifications on the job or otherwise, special achievements and strengths. Your special achievements and skill strengths will set you apart from other candidates with similar qualifications. It is ideal if your achievements have been in the field pertinent to your target position.

How do I identify my strengths and achievements?

Sometimes people find it difficult to recognize their best skills and may overlook some of their finest attainments. To help you find out what have been your achievements, look at the work you are currently doing or have done till now from the employer’s viewpoint. Has your work benefited your organization? And if so in what way?

If you have done something in your work, you feel particularly proud of, and then it is accomplishment. If possible, analyze it in terms of a challenge, action and result form. For example, what was the challenge and what was the subsequent action that you took? What was the result of your action? If possible quantify your result. You could mention percentages, money amounts or time frames etc., which could add that much needed punch to your resume.

THE VISUAL EFFECT

Analyze your resume impartially. Does it have it in it to stand out among a pile? Will your goals, qualifications and achievements catch the employer’s eye?

The visual effect of your resume is extremely important. It is not necessary to restrict yourself to a single page. What is more important is that you present your most pertinent qualifications and skills with clarity and in a concise manner.

THE FIRST 15 SECONDS

Most employers spend only 15 to 20 seconds in their first glance through a resume. Your resume should be able to catch his attention in this initial 15 seconds, encouraging him to read more. Keep this in mind while you write your initial summary, weeding out irrelevant facts.

The characteristics of an effective resume are:

- A resume should be visually effective that draws attention of the employer. The font should be clear and clean
- A summary of your qualifications that is authoritative and commanding that aims at the job you are applying for
- You should include your achievents in the summary as well as the work history, in order to reinforce them.
- The relevant keywords and phrases highlighted and placed suitably throughout your resume
- An effective and clearly written work history which highlights earlier job profiles which are most relevant to your target job
- A section on your qualifications which will include your educational qualifications, and professional developments such as workshops, seminars attended or training sessions and certifications.
- A list of technical skills if so required


THE INTIAL SUMMARY

The initial summary which you will write on your resume is like the catch line of an advertisement. It will serve to ‘sell’ you to the employer. Highlight and mention all your skills, strengths and capabilities which relate most to the job you are applying. Apart from this, the quality of your writing matters too. You should write concisely, using your best language. Use strong effective words which will make an impact.

WORK HISTORY

Don’t fill up your resume with a list of all the jobs you have held since high school. Mention the jobs which best illustrate your skills and strengths for the present job you are eyeing, and your experience of other jobs can be included separately under additional experience. Validate everything you wrote about your skills and work experience in the summary by going into a little detail. Mention how your skills benefited the organization you worked in. Here too, organize the information such that you mention your most pertinent work experience.

EDUCATION

An outline of your educational qualifications comes at the end. However, if some of your qualifications are relevant to the job you’re seeking, you can mention the synopsis earlier after your initial summary.

Be sure to mention details like the degree, college or institution, location and the grades achieved. Include any seminars attended and any certifications acquired in the continuing education section.

ADDITIONAL POINTS:

You are on the verge of a strong resume. Remember these additional points and you are almost done!

- Write down all relevant personal data. it should include your contact numbers and e mail
- References are only included at a later stage when your candidature is well under consideration.