Leading up to your first job-search, you may be curious about how much physicians in your specialty make, what to look for in an offer, and how stay on top of your finances - not to mention other big life decisions. We’re here to help!
Every week, we curate the latest in career and lifestyle news to help you transition from full-time resident to full-time physician. Check out what articles have been trending this year with other residents.
If you liked these articles visit your Doximity profile and update your 'Specialty' to “Resident” to opt in to our resident-only news digest. And if there are other newsworthy career topics you think we should cover, let us know at careermatch@doximity.com.
Today, we launched Doximity Dialer, a free app that makes it easier for physicians to call their patients. Through the app, clinicians can call patients on their personal cell phone, while displaying the number of their office, hospital, or any other number of their choice in the Caller ID.
“Our idea [for Doximity Dialer] is simple,” says Kanav Jain, Product Manager, Growth and Mobile Apps, ”easier communication leads to more communication, and greater communication leads to better health outcomes. We learned there are many reasons physicians, NPs, and PAs are hesitant about making calls using their cell phone and we wanted to help remove some of those barriers.”
We analyzed the current data from Doximity Dialer to provide you with information on how physicians are using the new app. The following statistics are from a sample of clinicians that are currently using Doximity Dialer.
“Very useful to call patients on the go. Option to pick multiple numbers like your clinic number, lab number, etc. which gives patients opportunity for a callback to the appropriate site if needed” - Hussein Bitar, MD
Using Doximity Dialer, clinicians can choose from multiple callback numbers which appear as the Caller ID when calling a patient. Many physicians work from a variety of locations, and hence, need to call different patients from a variety of numbers. From our sample, we found that 16% of clinicians currently using Doximity Dialer have more than one callback number.
“This app was easy to install and set up, and works great! Highly recommend if you make patient calls frequently.” - Irk93101
When you download Doximity Dialer, you setup your clinic or office number to appear in the caller ID (10 digit US numbers only). You can make calls to any US number a patient might use including landlines and cell phones.
*If you have previously asked your mobile carrier to permanently block your Caller ID, you will need to unblock it in order for Doximity Dialer to work.
“Easy set up & works like a charm. Many patients wouldn't answer *67 calls, but now respond with, "What are you doing in the office on a Saturday at 6:00 PM?" - gapac34
Doctors are less likely to place calls to patients outside of the office, and if they do, patients are unlikely to answer calls from an unfamiliar number or if the caller ID displays “Unknown.”
“Used it twice today...works well!” - Howard Luks, MD
We found that physicians using Dialer make an average of 3 unique calls through the app each day, with some making up to 30 calls on busy days.
Doximity Dialer also allows you to keep track of who you are calling, and when you’ve called them, through the “Recent Calls” button.
“Works as advertised, whether calling mobile or land lines. I tested with several cell phones and our office line showed up as expected. Very helpful product, especially for after hours calls to patients and their family.” - drrjv
In our sampling we found that over half (53%) of all calls through Dialer are placed between the hours of 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM. Despite these hours being outside of the typical 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, physicians are still in need of communication with patients after the office closes. Healthcare never sleeps!
We are thrilled to announce we ranked 1st in San Francisco Bay Area region and 6th overall on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America. Doximity grew 14,350% percent during this period and, in just 5 years, we’ve grown to over 60% of physicians as members.
Our mission is, and will always be, to serve clinicians. Here are some of the everyday ways clinicians use Doximity:
Finding another physician when time really matters
“I was moonlighting at another hospital and responded to a code-blue. After initial resuscitation, I needed an urgent gastroenterology consultation. I quickly went to Doximity, searched for a gastroenterologist in the area and was able to contact the on-call physician for his group for the urgent consultation. It was much quicker and more efficient than a Google search!”- Faisal Anwar, MD
Communicating securely and simply
“Yesterday, I discussed the results of a patient’s CAT scan with a radiologist via his backline, then updated the patient’s nephrologist via text and received a cardiac clearance from the patient’s cardiologist via fax. All in 10 minutes.” - Andrew Tompkins, MD
Staying abreast of all the relevant clinical news
“I had patients worried about symptoms of menopause lasting multiple years, afraid they might have cancer or a psychological disorder. Fortunately, I was browsing Doximity DocNews one morning and there was an article on the topic that I was able to share with my patients and calm their fears.” - Victor Liou, MD
Managing their career and understanding the market
“I needed regional and national salary information to inform stakeholders during salary negotiations, and the data provided on Doximity made the conversation extremely straightforward.” - Athanasios Tsiatis, MD
Thank you to our members for the innovative ideas and continued inspiration. It's a privilege to serve you.
Choose one word that best describes your work style
Multitasker. Obviously, I focus on the task at hand at any given moment. But overall in life, I need to be working on multiple things. If I’m not, I’m actually less efficient.
Favorite apps & software?
Recently, I’ve really taken to Twitter to be able to search for relevant news. Everyone’s rushing to discuss the latest news on it, and I enjoy hearing personal accounts and opinions before they’ve been shaped by the press, especially from people who may have different opinions from me. The fact that it’s financially in trouble is stressful to me!
What's your top time-saving tip at work?
Deal with things as they come. As a radiologist, I’m interrupted often. I find that if I don’t address an issue right away or dictate a report while a study is fresh in my mind, I duplicate a lot of work.
How does Doximity help you in your work as a clinician?
I love seeing curated articles across the various fields. It keeps me updated, and knowing what’s important and relevant to referring clinicians is essential to being a good radiologist.
You're currently a practicing radiologist at the VA, but previously spent time in academics. What was that transition like for you, and do you have any advice for those also looking to change their practice setting?
To be honest, the decision to leave academics was made for me - my husband (a plastic and reconstructive surgeon) had a great job opportunity in a city where there wasn’t a university hospital. After having two young children, we felt like the next job search had to revolve around what was best for our family (for both of us, not just me). In academics, it had been difficult for me to achieve a solid work life balance, and after the kids went to sleep, I found myself back at work, preparing lectures, responding to emails, and working on my research. I needed a step back from that to refocus on my other interests, although I’ll admit that I do miss academics, particularly teaching. Often now, I see a great case, and my instinct is to want to grab the trainees to share it. Fortunately, I have a great group of colleagues with whom to share cases, and we do so often. As far as the advice, I entertained job offers across the spectrum of radiology - from busy private practice settings to teleradiology. Ultimately, I wasn’t ready to give up face to face contact with patients and colleagues, but also wasn’t sure that having two full time private practice physician parents with frequent call and unpredictable schedules was best for my children. I asked for part time options, but the reality in, (at least our) local radiology job market, is that groups need people to share the call burden. The VA job came along at the last minute, giving me an opportunity to have a predictable lifestyle, see great cases, serve a wonderful patient population, and work with an intelligent, caring group of people, all without worrying about the evolving financial landscape of private practice. I jumped on it, and couldn’t be happier. Long story short, my advice is to prioritize what it is that you need out of a job, don’t assume that the best job is the one that’s most lucrative or the most academically prestigious, and reassess frequently if the job you have is right for you, as this may change as your life changes. Having a job that aligns with your professional interests while allowing you to live the life you want outside of medicine is priceless.
What is the biggest challenge for radiologists today?
I could go on forever about this, but I think it fundamentally comes down to providing value added radiology. Across the board, imaging volume is going up and reimbursement is going down, and radiologists are under increasing pressure to meet turnaround times and churn out more studies. Combined with the fact that the newer generation of physicians is more accustomed to looking at their own imaging and now have the technological capability to do so, there is a lot less interaction with the radiologist than there used to be. While this may seem like it’s more convenient for everyone involved, it detracts from the value a radiologist can add, often to the detriment of the patient. A face to face (or even phone) conversation will almost always be more informative, allowing the radiologist to understand the clinical scenario better and to specifically address the question at hand, as well as aiding the referring clinician in understanding the probability of each diagnosis listed in a differential and the appropriate next imaging steps, if any. It’s also important that the patients know the role of the radiologist in their care. I’m surprised how often non-clinical people don’t realize I’m a physician when I say I’m a radiologist. If we as a field don’t do more to promote our essential role in the system, we open up doors for technology or other specialties to take over our roles.
Who is someone you admire? Why?
Another question I could go on forever about! The current focus of my admiration is actually my 5-year-old son, who’s just started kindergarten and has developed a fascination with space. As he spits out factoids about astronomic units, dwarf planets, and the potential new ninth planet, I’m constantly in awe of how he uses basic building blocks of knowledge to extrapolate new theories and understand the world around him - often with connections that I myself don’t make! It’s a constant testament to the power of curiosity and the human brain.
Take us through an average day for you as a radiologist.
I surf the internet, work on mastering yoga poses, and usually leave work after lunch. NO! There’s this perception out there that radiologists have it easy. In reality, I read a ton of cases, do procedures ranging from joint injections to biopsies, and spend a lot of time on the phone with clinicians guiding imaging choices and discussing management. It’s a rare day that I eat lunch, or that I go more than 7 minutes without the phone ringing (yes, I’ve timed it).
How do you decompress?
Lately, I write. It’s great to process my thoughts on paper, and I’ve been writing about everything from medicine to my 2-year-old son’s pronunciation of the word ‘water.’ Even if most of it never gets published, it allows me to get things out of my system and put things in perspective — and by extension, usually reduces stress. Unless I’m writing about politics and health policy.
What are you currently reading?
I just finished The Rosie Project, a book club selection from a group of physician mothers that I’m in. Great read - flows smoothly and offers a unique insight into the world of Asperger’s. I read it in one sitting, and am excited to read book 2 in the series!
Do you have a favorite song?
I tend to listen to my favorite song of the moment on repeat until I can’t stand it anymore. It’s bad because consequently, few songs stick with me long term. Some that have though include Edwin McCain’s "I could not ask for more," the first dance song at my wedding, Toto’s "Africa," and a handful of Indian songs I grew up hearing.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t take yourself so seriously. We are so groomed as physicians to project a certain persona, and to some extent, that’s essential to the job. But allowing yourself to laugh at your failures, take joy in the little or frivolous things, and keep things in perspective is key in this era of physician burnout.
Dr. Kevin Letz is a serial entrepreneur, healthcare executive and practicing nurse practitioner. He currently serves as Board Chair of two non-profits including Advanced Practice Provider Executives and American College of Nurse Practitioner Faculty. He co-founded Rounding Providers, allergiK, Clinicians Consulting, & a number of other healthcare companies. This is how he works.
Choose one word that best describes your work style:
Flexible. I always try to keep an open mind to others ideas and always push toward finding better ways to do things.
What is your device of choice?
I have gravitated toward Apple products (albeit would be open to change) with an iPhone, MacBook Air and iPad which I end up using more for reading and entertainment.
Favorite apps & software?
My main medical apps include Epocrates, Doximity, UpToDate, and Epic Haiku. Our Epic system now populates the referring physician’s Doximity profile, which I love. I try to get away from paper whenever possible, so have several cloud storage apps and make use of a scanner and recycle bin frequently. I am not a big social media user except to check on what my kids might be up to.
Why did you want to become an NP, and what drew you to healthcare?
I was drawn to nursing given the variety of careers within the profession of nursing.
How does Doximity help you in your work as a clinician?
My primary use of Doximity is connecting with other clinicians and doing quick article reads. I have just started to experiment with the faxing feature and looking forward to possibly using Doximity for recruitment.
What’s your secret to staying productive?
I have learned to focus on the now a bit more and assuring my stress level stays in check. I find when I am highly stressed I spin my wheels more.
What do you wish you knew when you were a student?
The value of connections and learning from others, and that experiences provide greater knowledge than a textbook.
Who is your mentor?
Too many to name and they come from all different areas and backgrounds. If I had to name one today it would be my 16 year old daughter Miranda, who reminds me to stay true to who you are and not what others want you to be.
Although you're a practicing DNP, you're also a seasoned healthcare executive and entrepreneur. What was this transition like, and do you have any advice for those looking to explore the business side of healthcare?
I think the transition is like many others. Do something only if you enjoy it and once you choose to do it, there is a skill set that can be learned just like anything else. There is both an art and science behind management and leadership, just as there is in medicine.
How do you decompress?
I run and work out with intensity, which is wonderful for my mind and body, although not always my joints. And of course, spending time with those people I love.
Do you have a favorite song?
I like the song “Sail.” Don’t ask me what the words are or who sings it, but it’s the song I like to blast.
Gabriel Westheimer is a FNP who is Emergency Medicine fellowship trained. He has been working at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center for the past three years. Prior to SFGH he worked at several community departments in the East Bay and Sacramento. He is passionate about NP education and interested in making his clinical students think critically and build a foundation for their careers. His goal for SFGH is to reach a point where NPs are working to the fullest extent of their practice.
Outside of work he and his wife enjoy cooking and making cocktails for friends (#BarMonheimer). They love international travel and are active resort and backcountry skiers.
How does Doximity help you in your work as a clinician?
I use the news page on a regular basis to stay up to date on current articles pertaining to my practice and refer patients who are out of my county system for follow up visits to specialists.
What’s your secret to staying productive?
Always learning. I tell my students the second you feel that you understand everything and don’t need to keep learning, then don’t come to work.
Describe your journey to medicine.
Anything but direct. It started with my love for skiing and wanting to be a professional ski patroller. After getting my undergrad degree in theater, I took a one month wilderness EMT program through the Wilderness Medicine Institute. Jump forward a few years and I was Ski Patrolling in Utah with a wonderful crew at Deer Valley Ski Resort. Knowing that I would be moving to the Bay Area and that I wanted to go back to school, I applied to Samuel Merritt University and began their fast-track NP program. After graduating, I was fortunate to be the first Emergency Medicine Fellow for Emergency Medicine Physicians (EMP) in their Sacramento, CA Hospital. For the past three years I have been at my city’s level one trauma center:
the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
What do you wish you knew when you were a student?
As an Emergency Nurse Practitioner, you must be busy. How do you find work/life balance?
One of the best things of emergency medicine is being able to sculpt your work life balance. It is true that the odd hours and the random shift schedule can impede some things including important family time and regular sleep patterns. Once you get beyond that, you are able to take advantage of the flexibility and have some serious space from work.
For me it is a combination of downtime with my wife, eating good food, mixing cocktails, and hanging out with our two greyhounds. Active travel is also an important part of my work life balance. I was able to spend six weeks on the road with my wife and friends, traveling and driving throughout Africa while leading our own safaris. I'll soon be departing on a three-week Japanese backcountry skiing adventure come the new year. Exercise is a big part of our down time and training for our next adventure.
Do you have a favorite song?
Not at this time
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
If there is something else you can do, don’t be an actor.
What would your colleagues be most surprised to learn about you?
Most people don't know that I am completely blind in my right eye from Coats disease.
To celebrate of Nurse Practitioner Week, we launched Career Navigator, the first interactive salary map for nurse practitioners by specialty and county.
We built Career Navigator using Doximity's nurse practitioner network, which includes 25% of all US nurse practitioners. With the data you provided us, we were able to analyze and find the following 5 facts on nurse practitioner salaries you may not know about:
1. Gender discrepancies exist across specialties
While 87% of nurse practitioners are female, men make 11% more than women on average. The specialty with the largest pay gap is Geriatrics, where men make about 13% more than women. The smallest pay gap exists in Acute Care, where men make 2% more than women.
2. Salary varies by specialty
The highest paid specialty overall is Psychiatric-Mental Health, with Neonatal coming in as a close second. The lowest paid specialities are Women's Health and Pediatric.
3. State salaries vary for nurse practitioners
We found the average compensation for nurse practitioners is highest in California by a significant margin. Coming in second and third place are Nevada and Oregon.
4. Independent practice states show higher salaries, but not by much
Our findings showed that nurse practitioners in the 21 states with the option of independent practicing made 4% more than their counterparts in states without independent practice options.
5. Pay for nurse practitioners is similar in rural and urban areas
We found that nurse practitioners in both rural and urban areas had relatively similar salaries, with nurse practitioners in rural areas making 1.4% more than those in urban areas. Previously, we have found that physicians in rural areas see an average of $1,500 more in salary each year compared to those in urban areas. However, we also found that PAs in urban areas make approximately 5% more than PAs in rural areas.
See what the average salary is for your specialty in your county in Career Navigator.
Helen Lu is a Family Nurse Practitioner primarily working in Clinical Informatics. She has a background in family practice and is an Epic-certified Physician Builder and a clinical EMR trainer. Her day primarily consists of training providers, building clinical content on Epic, identifying and troubleshooting workflow issues, and providing support to her clinics, while her clinical duties are in in-home assessments. She is currently based out of Sacramento, CA.
Choose one word that best describes your work style:
Comprehensive. I strive to be efficient, helpful, pleasant, and empathetic on a daily basis.
How does Doximity help you in your work as a clinician?
New clinical guidelines, interesting articles to read on the go, social networking with specialists and classmates.
What’s your secret to staying productive?
Spotify and headphones! I try to focus on one task at a time with my undivided attention (although very difficult), this helps me complete tasks the correct way the first time.
Describe your journey to medicine.
When I was 2 years old, my mother was diagnosed with Lupus, an unpredictable chronic autoimmune disease that attacks the body. The disease, coupled with the extensive medications taken, caused her to have complications such as osteoporosis, muscle pain, and kidney problems. She woke up in the morning not having the choice to say “I’m going to do this, this, and this today,” rather, “What will my body allow me to do today?” She was frequently tired, nauseous, irritable, and prone to infections. I was always sure to be circumspect around my mother when I was ill, mostly in fear of giving her a cold she might not be able to fight off. This was one way my mother’s illness taught me to be independent; I had to take on the responsibility of taking care of myself, as well as the rest of my family. Although witnessing my mother’s illness was always a stressful matter, it sparked my interest in medicine and blessed me with the opportunity to grow. It taught me the importance of being compassionate, with the ability to understand that not everyone is capable of taking care of themselves.
What do you wish you knew when you were a student?
I wish I would've known at a younger age that an open heart and an open mind will allow you to go anywhere. Status will get you nowhere.
Who is your mentor?
I am lucky to have had mentors at different stages of my life. My Mom, who led me to believe in myself. My brother, who told me "The World is Yours, take it" at a very young age. My family, who has always been the catalyst I needed. My preceptors, professors, and colleagues who always knew the correct answers and always provided the right guidance. My patients, who teach me something every single day.
As an NP who is very tech-savvy, what is your advice for others looking to become more involved in digital health/technology?
Networking, continuing to learn, and a keen interest in digital health/technology.
I try to live by this every day. “You cannot give to anybody in this world what you do not have. And therefore you must concentrate on getting. You must become the most beautiful, sensitive, wondrous, magical, unique, fantastic person in the world to be able to say that I have all of these things so that I can give them away and share them with you. If I don’t have wisdom I can only teach you my ignorance, If I don’t have joy I can only teach you despair, If I don’t have freedom I can only put you in cages. But everything that I have, I can give them away. And so, I dedicate myself to becoming the best ‘me’ the world has ever known.”
-Leo Buscaglia
What would your colleagues be most surprised to learn about you?
I love to karaoke! Though I'm not very good at it.
Ashley Ramirez is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) with a background as a Neonatal & Pediatric Intensive Care Nurse for the past decade. Recently, she worked as a Fetal Medicine PNP at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California. As of July 2016, Ashley joined the Peace Corps as a Pediatric Nurse Educator and is currently working and living in Malawi, Africa. You can find Ashley on Twitter @AshJRamirez, or on her blog, Life As a Pediatric Nurse.
Choose one word that best describes your work style:
Focused. Working in the Intensive Care and Critical Care setting my whole career, my pace is usually one speed: Ready. Set. Go! Over the years I have noticed there is always work to be done. Sometimes it can overwhelm you as the projects tend to pile on. It ends up being extremely daunting. However, I noticed I work best when I can identify tangible goals and projects, breaking them into little chunks to focus on. I prioritize them and slowly execute them in small doses. Creating little internal deadlines for each project. There are always endless projects to be done, but having a good sense of prioritization is key. You can then focus on setting goals and timelines to help make it possible.
As I am learning the Malawi language (Chichewa), we say “Pang’ono a Pang’ono,” meaning bit by bit.
What is your device of choice?
In clinical and travel: iPhone, but my MacBook Air is a close second
Macbook air:
Microsoft and Google drive: sharing docs and storing files for education, powerpoints, lectures and modules
How does Doximity help you in your work as a clinician?
Healthcare and technology is at an interesting time. Although technology is making a positive impact, unfortunately there’s a lot of barriers in the system, which in turn impedes optimal delivery of care to high risk patients. Communication within mixed healthcare systems is a blaring obstacle. In turn, we continue to work in silo, duplicating a lot of the workload. Because of this, it translates to marginal gaps in care that is provided. Doximity was a great portal to really connect with providers in the community and optimize the coordination of care. More specifically to this high risk population accessing different healthcare systems.
When I was in the states, I used it daily. In California, I was a coordinator for a Fetal Medicine Program as a Nurse Practitioner. Most of my work involved coordinating care with nearly a dozen pediatric specialists and their respected colleagues to develop individualized plan of care for high risk pregnancies. Doximity was instrumental in connecting with the specialist to coordinate and optimize care in an urgent fashion.
What’s your secret to staying productive?
Taking time to unplug. I have that motto of “Work Hard, Play Hard." I feel like there is a time for everything. As stated above, I am very goal oriented and work great with deadlines. But once achieving those little deadlines I also think it’s healthy to unplug and treat yourself. I truly believe on the weekends people need to turn off your phones and be unplugged with life. Hiking and running is my key to being disconnected and staying balanced. I love getting lost in the wilderness or near water. Lake Malawi has been a new replacement for my Tahoe or Marin headlands fix.
What do you wish you knew when you were a student?
Knowing you are your greatest critic. To have more confidence and be more gentle on myself -- we are truly our worst critics. I’m always so hypercritical, often inflicting fear that initially limited myself in taking risks. Once you realize you don’t have to be a genius to achieve big things, life truly is an adventure of taking risks. The goal is to aim for progress, not perfection. Once you are able to change your perspective, it slowly falls into place. As long as you have a great work ethic and solid plan, you can achieve anything you put your mind to.
Who is your mentor?
I have several mentors. The ones most pivotal in my life include a select group of my Advanced Life Support (ALS) colleagues at Alta Bates Medical Center and my Nurse Manager, Joan Werner. Joan was the initial game changer in my career projection. She pushed me to achieve more and taught me about planning and goal setting. She was the most supportive, nurturing mentors I could’ve asked for. She embodies everything a Nurse should be.
In addition to her inspiration and autonomy she allowed our ALS group to have, I was able to grow into a mold from my stellar colleagues. Some of the accomplishments my colleagues have accomplished has raised the bar within our practice in resuscitation and stabilization in the Delivery Room. It was inspiring to live and breathe how small, simple changes can make a huge impact. Work became a constant PDSA cycle: Plan, Do, Study and Act, which has now been ingrained on my work ethic.
As an NP who is currently working abroad, what advice do you have for other clinicians interested in working in another country?
There are plenty of opportunities, especially in Pediatrics, and it’s not all about helping patients directly. Think about global health on a more sustainable level. It’s wise to invest your time in a strategic initiative that is long term with goals. The book “Dead Aid” is a must read to gain a new perspective.
Think of global health as a continuum; working collaboratively with in-country support on the higher level. Helping solve issues together rather than put a band aid on identifiable problems. We as health care professionals always have good intentions “to do good,” but sometimes we lack a feasible plan with tangible outcomes.
My work in Global Health has definitely changed my outlook on medicine and it just changes you, in general, on a different level. I think working in global health has drastically expanded my skill set and importance of the systematic approach in the delivery of healthcare. It has helped me step back and see the big picture -- not to jump into projects to be a savior and for personal gain, but actually evaluate what the greater good is. I am still learning this.
Working in Global Health is a constant reminder of why I do what I do. There are barriers and obstacles in all of our line of work, no matter where we are in the world. Struggles will always be there. At the end of the day, being able to shape a new generation and help improve care through education and training has been a big shift for me. To possibly have an impact on improving care that is provided to little humans who are faced with lack of access and lack of resources. It’s about problem solving and learning together to help improve care, no matter where they are born in this world. It’s all just a humbling experience. I may not see the change, but I hope somewhere down the line I can help motivate a Malawian to help save lives one breath at a time, one baby at a time and thus a trickle effect. It definitely is not easy but I think it’s worth it.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Usually blast my playlist of choice via Spotify. Music is my mood lifter. Also, if I can squeeze in three-four morning runs or yoga session then it’s a great week -- or perhaps stressful. Nonetheless, that’s how I filter through it all.
What’s the last thing you do before you go to sleep?
I know it’s horrible, but check my messages and emails. However, during periods when work and life are pretty crazy, I listen to a guided mediation playlist.
How do you decompress?
Exercise! Hiking. Trips to the lake. Running. Basically anything that gets your body moving, distracts the mind, being grounded by the outdoors and feeling unplugged from work.
I can’t live without...
iPhone. I’m constantly listening to music, taking pictures or using google maps.
Eek. I can’t just say one. Currently, the albums Rihanna - Anti, Beyonce - Lemonade, Petit Biscuit - Petit Biscuit and other random songs by Major Lazer, Mura Masa and Kygo are always playing on loop.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Such good questions.. Perseverance. Passion and Patience. Honestly, I can’t say there is one magic advice that was that powerful in one single moment. Rather, I think facing challenging moments sprinkled with small, kind words of encouragements; focusing on the three P’s listed above are essential. Over time, finding a positive, consistent way of coping with tough times eventually leads to a silver lining. Life isn’t about one single moment, one single piece of advice nor one single path. Life is a string of failures that eventually lead to success. Just remember to have a little fun during the process.
Colonel James Ficke, M.D., is Robert O. Robinson Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and director of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is also orthopaedist-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. During his deployment as deputy commander of clinical services at the 228th Combat Support Hospital in Mosul, Iraq, from 2004 to 2005, he was the senior orthopedic surgeon, treating more than 600 U.S. soldiers and Iraqi patients for war injuries. He is nationally renowned as an expert on the treatment of complex foot and ankle patients, lower extremity trauma patients and amputees. This is how he works.
How has the military shaped your active orthopaedic practice?
To start with, I wouldn’t be an orthopaedic surgeon if it weren’t for the military.
The military created my orthopaedic practice. I joined the Army at West Point and studied engineering then went on to Uniformed Services University for Medical School. Originally, I thought I wanted to do wilderness medicine but was exposed to an Air Force orthopaedic surgeon for a 2 week required rotation, and he was so excited about his practice that I was inspired. His name was “Doug Harryman.” He was a mentor for a short period but had a tremendous impact on me.
Ultimately, I served in the military for 30 years because I came into a position of leadership near the 9/11 events. I was at San Antonio, a level 1 trauma center, where we received many of the casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan and it inspired me to stay on Active Duty. Orthopaedic surgery through the military, research, and service of others has inspired my career in foot and ankle and trauma, which were both areas that were needed in the military.
This is a picture in the olive garden of the Benham Monestary in Nineveh Iraq where we had a Medic Baptized. The caretaker served us olives from the trees behind us.
What is the last book you read for fun?
You’re going to get a kick out of this. I must confess, the last book was A Passion for Leadership, by former Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. I enjoy reading about other people’s successes. It’s a first hand account of leadership by a highly successful individual and icon for us as leaders in academics and organizations. The book depicts his many trials and tribulations and was a remarkable story about how one person came to a position of leadership - especially with such a humble upbringing.
Where is your favorite place you have visited with the military?
Sigh… that’s a little harder question. I have a hard time with favorites and I’m not avoiding your question. Every day in life there is something incredible.
One of the most exciting places was when I served for 1 year in nothern Iraq. We had a Christian soldier baptized in Benham Monastery built in 400AD – this area had one of the largest libraries outside of Rome at the time.
An Iraqi priest was able to baptize him. This was a man practicing his Catholic faith in 2005 in Iraq in peace. I think the most exciting thing about it was that we were at a place defending the freedom of mostly individuals with Islamic faith but freedom of religion was still permitted.
It was one of the highlights of my life because it signified what we did in the military: Preserve freedom of religion/expression for many of those who may not traditionally have it.
What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
Well, like most people, I guess, I shave – shower – grab a cup of coffee – kiss my wife goodbye and head to work.
After taking care of the ‘mechanics of the morning,’ I arrive ½ hour early at work before anyone is there to plan my day, collect my thoughts, and think about the opportunities in front of me for that day.
What’s your favorite type of exercise?
Running. I try to run 3-4 times per week. It gives me time away from distractions and it’s a known fact that people who incorporate an exercise habit into daily practice are happier. They have better health overall. These days in medicine and specifically for Doximity viewers, the notion of burnout is significant. A recent paper showed that up to 45% of physicians are suffering from burnout. I score very low on the burnout ratings, and I have lots of energy and enthusiasm and attribute much of that to getting outside with my regular exercise. Certainly not everyday, but regularly, and that’s valuable.
How has Doximity influenced your career and practice?
Our Department (Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic Surgery) is partnering with Doximity with the “physician referral network,” which is a pilot right now. I’m not a big social networker, but I know many of my colleagues use that feature to keep up with other professionals. It’s a growing way to have a referral network. And clearly the articles are very valuable.
What’s the most important lesson you learned as an Eagle Scout?
Well, you’ve done some checking. I still have the rank of Eagle Scout on my CV. It’s deeply ingrained in my core values including the Twelve Points of Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent (And yes, he did name them all).
Who has influenced you the most?
Well… I mentor people and I think it’s a skill you have to practice. Sir Ernest Shackleton was a tremendous leader. He influenced my life in the way he led his endurance expedition and brought all of his people home. He kept the unruly members close and taught them accountability.
I study biographies. I think any biography you read can really influence your life and how you practice.
One of Dr. Ficke’s former residents whom he mentors, Chad Krueger, and one of his own mentors, Mike Yaszemski
