LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one the most effective and under-appreciated social media tools. At over 200 million users, it is the most comprehensive professional network out there.

It isn’t just for entrepreneurs and business executives. Over a million doctors and other medical professionals use the site. There are specialized forums on medical topics. In short, LinkedIn is a low-energy, high-impact tool that could be the springboard to launch your online presence. Here are just some of the reasons why doctors should use LinkedIn.

Control your digital C.V.

You can expect most patients, doctors, hospitals and other professionals to Google you. Google search results are slowly replacing the traditional curriculum vitae.

LinkedIn is highly-rated by all search engines therefore it offers you the opportunity to control and curate your “digital C.V.” The more sections you complete, the more you will appear at the top of the search listings. Fill out your interests, professional history, awards, speaking engagements, publications and professional memberships. A comprehensive LinkedIn account allows you to partially control your online presence and push down unfavorable reviews, an inevitability in the modern economy.

As your LinkedIn becomes more robust, it will complement your marketability and professional profile. The more curated and organized your LinkedIn, the more it can connect you with professional opportunities like grants, jobs and speaking opportunities.

Brand yourself

The economy is evolving. Every smart marketing professional will tell you that branding is the key to success and standing out from the din. LinkedIn is the springboard to your brand. A brand is two things: your professional accomplishments / specialty and your approach to medicine.

Connect your blog to your LinkedIn, write content and share it with your network. Share and comment on interesting articles or journals. Report your latest publications and speaking engagements. The more you share on your LinkedIn, the more you become an authority and by extension a brand.

Create a running theme through your LinkedIn. Humanize it and connect it with how and why you practice medicine. This allows your network to know your brand both professionally and personally.

As your brand grows, so does your access to professional opportunities.It isn’t enough to be a decent surgeon, you must create a persona with which people will relate and remember you. LinkedIn is a low-risk, high-yield tool to build your brand and online presence.

Build and utilize a network

Unfortunately, modern professional life is still about who you know rather than what you know. As some say your network is your net-worth. The more you effectively brand yourself, the more you can leverage your network. A good network can expand your practice, connect you with other doctors and perhaps even lead to job opportunities.

As your network grows, so will you access to the collective knowledge of all those doctors. Concerned about joining a research group? Ask your connections. Joining a new hospital? Someone in your network may have the inside scoop.

Moreover you aren’t limited to your connections, join practice groups. These groups often have members from all over the world. These groups share the newest medical knowledge, job openings, speaking opportunities and more. If used properly, your network can become one of your most effective tools to grow and safeguard your practice and professional life.

LinkedIn expands your professional network to all over the world. A larger your network means more professional opportunities.

In conclusion

It will take a lot of initial legwork but LinkedIn can become one of the best tools to enhance your professional life. LinkedIn is a low-risk and high-impact tool that can serve as the springboard to launch and control your digital footprint. 

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LinkedIn groups for healthcare professionals are an effective and strategic professional tool for physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to utilize. LinkedIn provides a wide range of networking options and enables healthcare professionals such as yourself to connect to peers, patients, researchers, recruiters or employers.

One of the important benefits of using LinkedIn is connecting with other healthcare professionals that may be outside of your area of expertise or geographic location. Another benefit is having a social media tool for potential patients to seek you out is valuable to broaden your community. And finally, in the digital world, potential employers or recruiters frequently use LinkedIn to explore professionals such as reviewing a curriculum vitae or determining your connections with educational facilities or your research network.

Whatever your reasons are for utilizing LinkedIn groups for healthcare professionals, becoming familiar with the tools it offers is necessary. LinkedIn allows you to connect to different groups in your professional area of expertise or in areas that you would like to network with. The following are several groups that any healthcare professional would benefit with becoming connected to. 

1. One of the larger groups on LinkedIn to access in order to network for employment is, IHR, which is a group for healthcare or pharmaceutical professionals. This group would allow a healthcare professional to network with over 300,000 people to find new employment.
2. Healthcare Executives Network, with over 200,000 members would allow you to connect with executives, managers and other healthcare professionals. This group describers their network as “sharing best practices, collaborate and build lasting relationships”. This group could certainly provide you with education, support and an ability to network with the healthcare industry. 
3. Healthcare Industry Professionals Group, with over 70,000 members is a group seeking to network with a wide range of healthcare professionals. This group was created in order to “discuss innovation and the technology and regulatory changes that are impacting the industry”. There are always changes in regulations, technology and health insurances so being connected to groups that regularly discuss and share experience is useful for medical professionals. 
4. Networking for Healthcare Professionals, with 6,700 members a smaller number comparatively speaking but boasts an effective group for medical professionals. This group describes their purpose to “exchange ideas…learn everything you need to know upon completing your residency or fellowship and beginning your career.” This group is associated with MD Preferred Services which is a resource for medical professionals to “leverage their time and resources.”

5. Medical Devices Group, with over 300,000 members is a LinkedIn group of medical professionals with 41 different subgroups across a wide range of specialties and geographic locations. This group seeks to provide networking, medical content and opportunities to connect in person. A valuable and wide ranging group for healthcare professionals. 

There are thousands of LinkedIn groups for healthcare professionals and millions of members on LinkedIn so whatever your medical area of expertise there is likely a group that would support your professional plans. Go ahead, starting linking up today!

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Want to add forums to your list of physician tools? If so, make sure to check out our free resource below.