A physician’s marketing bootcamp reflections

This is a historical personal account, notice or shared post. Past dates, affiliations, events and promotional descriptions are distinct from current operating information. Hospital and republication-rights review remain pending.

To be honest, I hesitated before going. Taking a marketing class felt awkward for a physician. Part of me still thought that if I performed procedures well, read papers and presented at conferences, patients would come on their own.

They do not. If nobody knows about you, there are no patients for you to help.

A whirlwind day

The bootcamp was a concentrated, one-day practical class: learn the principles of blogs, YouTube, Reels and Shorts, then try them immediately. Deadlines made my brain seem to run twice as fast.

People often need a deadline to act; I am especially good at last-minute studying when the pressure is on. That feeling lasted all day. It felt as though all my excitement had poured out at once.

What I appreciated most

The class explained concrete ways to convey information within the medical-advertising rules. Reaching patients with useful information while respecting those rules is a pressing issue for a physician running a practice. Nobody had made the approach clear to me before. Finding a starting point made me grateful enough to cry.

People who had traveled far

Several participants came from outside Seoul. I could feel their determination. Simply being among passionate people gave me energy. Learning starts by observing people who do something well; the class reminded me of that.

Why a post gets views, and why business follows: first understand what the person watching or reading hopes to gain. That was the starting point of marketing.

Feeling comfortable earning a living

Running a clinic, paying staff and caring for family, I had sometimes felt that earning money should be kept quiet. That changed. If you sincerely help someone meet a need, money can follow. It also helps provide a better environment for family; that need not be shameful.

Skill at procedures alone does not bring patients automatically. Letting people know who I am and what I can do is also part of my work.

Closing reflections

The day felt like a well that would not run dry, rather than a drink taken only when thirsty. Now I need to put what I learned into practice. I was especially moved by the immediate teaching, feedback and close support from the assistants assigned to each group. There was plenty of vitamin C, too, which I enjoyed while working hard.

I cannot build a public identity without using social media. I need to put more effort into my blog. This is a start.

Original class link