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.
