Customer Reviews

The E-Myth Physician: Why Most Medical Practices Don't Work and What to Do About It

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

My partners and I read the E-Myth Physician after reading the E-Myth Revisited. The concepts and systemization of our company have significantly changed our practices in the last year. After looking at some of the other reviews I noticed a common theme, people either love the book or hate it. Those who were not pleased with the book all have another common theme in that they did not feel it offered any "practical" solutions to their problems. That point of view absolutely supports Gerber's idea of the "technition" working in the business and not working on the business. I would not recommend this book for people looking for quick solutions to daily problems in their practice, but if you want to change your practice and the way you look at your business it is an excellent addition to the E-Myth series.

I agree with Dan who posted a review 2 posts before me. I am a physician and have read a few of Gerbers books. His Emyth revisited is a good book. However, his other books such as this one which is supposed to be geared towards specific profession. He only gives you some very basic concepts that offer really no solutions to these problems. I think most of us who understand our problems wish to have some questions answered and get help solving them not just simply reiterate what we already know. He does an absolute poor job on the money section of the book even though he implies that it is one of the most important aspects of the business. It is a terrible book on application to problem solving. Emyth even though does not necessarily cover application all the way either but it gives more useful hints than this one.

Organization: C-
Application: F
Usefulness: F
Re-read: F
Overall: D-

Mr. Gerber has very interesting ideas about systematic management of a medical practice. He uses the franchise example of McDonald's to help the physician to think of his or own practice as a system, that is easy to repeat. Repetitive systems are a definite way to provide better patient care and make more money. Mr. Gerber also speaks about how the physician must constantly look to change to improve these systems. This also makes sense with the constant changing horizon of health care.

The problem, is that Mr. Gerber gives very little insight on how to put these concepts into practice. For example, he believes all physicians should have systems to see patients on time. Yet, he has no solutions on how to deal with the problems that put physicians behind in the schedule. He brings up the "By the way doc,...," patient with multiple unannounced problems, but no solutions on how to deal with him. Another concept he suggests, is when a customer is angry, doing whatever the customer wants to satisfy them. This is a good concept with most patients, but there are several where this would not work, drug-seekers, etc.

This is a great book to help you conceptualize what you want your practice to be. It will help you to break it down into individual concepts and systems to address and fine tune to make your practice profitable and enjoyable. It will not give you much practical advice on how to solve these problems. You will have to look elsewhere for this.

The following is my opinion: As a physician myself about to start my own private practice, I came across this book and thought "well, it's only ~$13 and I'm sure it is worth at least that much and I'm sure I'll get at least one or two pointers." I was wrong on all accounts. Let me save you some time by giving you the answers he offers to his two questions: 1)why most medical practices don't work, 2)what to do about it. Answers: 1)because physicians don't have a system, 2)create a system. Makes promises and keep them. That's it. If at this point you are saying to yourself "that's it? You have to be kidding!", then you know exactly how I felt after reading the book. Through most of the book, he would bring up provacative questions and I kept thinking to myself "here it comes, I wonder what his answer/solution to that question is,I can't wait, that is such a good questions." And time after time and for the entire book, it left me disappointed. He provided no real answers, or answers that only a child or a moderately mentally challenged adult may take as plausible. It is like being promised a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and then finding it filled with a pot of manure. He often makes very strange comments. The one that comes to mind right now is: doctors don't understand time with a capital T, they understand time with a lower case t. When I came across comments like this, I was waiting for something profound to be said, which of course left me disappointed and wondering "what the heck was he talking about?" He would tell stories of how patients hated waiting for long periods and that resulted in patients feeling frustrated. Duh! He speaks as if doctors like their patients to be irritated and as if doctors enjoy running late for appointments. His solution to this problem? Stop it, stop being late! and promise patients you will see them on time and keep your promise. You heard me, that is his real solution! He tells a story of a doctor he knows who adopted this philosophy and promised his patients that they will be seen on time or else they do not pay!! I would love to meet this doctor, wouldn't you? He didn't comment on this particular doctor any further. Why do I get the feeling there was much more to that story that is being left out? What made me realize he has no idea about the medical profession is the following: he feels and states that physicians can predict how much time is needed with each patient and that if doctors apply this, that they would never run late. He states that physician don't have to estimate how much time each patient needs but that they can exactly predict how much time is needed. Too bad he didn't share his secret of how to do that, I would paid him big bucks to learn that secret. He would give extremely unpractical advice for physician how to make sure patients do not become dissatified, for example: to always listen to the patient and never interrupt them and always let them say what they need to say. For those of you who are doctors, I'm sure you got a big chuckle reading that just as I did when I read it in his book. In summary, his books has many intriquing questions, no answers which are practical. In my opinion, when I read the negative evaluations of this book on amazon, I thought "well, cheap book, sure I'll get something out of it, maybe those negative ratings are exaggerated." In my opinion, book is less than mediocre and the negative ratings are exactly on target. I rec if you have to check out the book, go to the bookstore and skim it for 10minutes, trust me, you won't buy it.

The author seems to partly grasp the challenges (i.e. managed care, cash flow, office staff, family life, etc.) of a being a physician. However, he offers no practical solutions to help overcome these challenges. Changing one's "mindset" is simply not enough. I expected a whole lot more from this book and kept waiting for answers.

With medicine headed for a meltdown and physician dissatisfaction and burnout at staggering levels, this book could not come at a better time. I read this and felt renewed hope that there is a better way to approach that thing we call a practice and turn it into what we dreamed it would be. Michael Gerber does not give a canned strategy for success because there is no such thing. Instead he teaches you to reinvent your practice according to your desires. He gives you the tools but it is up to you to put them to good use. Read it and dream. Then read it again and do. I see it as a ray of hope in an otherwise dark time for medicine.

This book will do very little in giving you an idea of how to grow a practice, or not have it fail. It talks a lot about cloning yourself and selling your practice eventually, which is something I'm not interested in - at least not now - it's been 3 years since I graduated. There is nothing substantial about doctor-patient communication or patient acquisition, which I believe has a lot to do with why practices fail. The reason I would pay $0.02 and rate it a 1 star is because it has some decent philosophical concepts, but you can get those just about anywhere with all "self-help" manifestation-type books that are out now. The author probably had a good 1st book (haven't read it) and then just figured he could use the same template to clone a dozen others on a different topic. Invest your money elsewhere - really disappointing, and was able to finish it about 2 hours. And I'm no speed-reader.

The book is a quick read, but honestly did not provide solutions. Sure it discussed problem areas, but pretty much the book just identified what the problems are. I already know what they are. For example, in the section regarding problem patients I thought that it would address how to handle a variety of "problem" patients. No, it just skimmed over the topic offering no new information. I don't think I really gleaned any pearls of wisdom from this book. I'm just happy that I didn't waste more time, as it was a quick read. Overall, I was very disappointed.

The E-Myth Physician was on target, and not only about physicians, but also all doctors, including, veterinarians, dentists and other medical professionals.

I strongly recommend this book and have to several friends who are doctors. I recommend it because it pegs so many doctors and health care professionals and why they often lead unfulfilling careers and lives.

I started incorporating what I've learned from E-Myth last February 2001 when I enrolled in The E-Myth Mastery Program. I can relate to Keith and Susan very well because like me, my father is also a veterinarian and I have experienced many of the same things they related in their story. Even though I recognize the same pattern because I have lived it, I often have difficulty not falling into the same unfulfilling trap. That is why I am working daily on E-Myth Mastery to help my family and myself have a life outside of my career.

Chapter 12 on the subject of work has had a big impact on the way I think about my business. "Work is the cause of obsessive-compulsive behaviors by doctors. Work. You've got to do it every single day. Work. If you fall behind you'll pay for it. Work. There is either too much or not enough." -from page 97 of The E-Myth Physician.

The E-Myth philosophy stresses the importance of the need of working on your practice and not just working in it to achieve equity and something that lives without me. It gives me a visual way to realize my goals and a way to build each level on a solid foundation and systems that work in my business.

It is excellent because by managing the process in a medical business is the only way I can find peace in my life and prevent career burnout as I mature in my profession.

This is, at best the beginning part of a working business solution. Yes, Gerber makes a valid point about the E-myth concept (read other reviews if you don't know the concept) but it's really for beginners (newbs). All his books are really just advertisements,for his E-Myth Academy consulting business in the back of all his books. There is nearly no practical information. He makes his point about the E-Myth, then masterbates it endlesly, re-making that point six ways to Sunday, add nausium and leaves you wondering, well, but what should I do? Well, little lost lamb (newb), go to E-Myth web site or call the 800 number where they have a fast talking sales crew and sign up for 2 years of 700 plus a month (I haven't checked lately) consultation/classes.

After you get the point that to make your technical skill pay/function as a business you need to have business skills/know how. You can sign up for the 700 plus per month for 2 years advertised in the back of his books. Start looking elsewhere for actual practical information. Because there are no E-myth books or tapes that have that information. You can do a lot for your business with that kind of money. I'm always shocked at how newbs starting businesses throw money around. Something to buy and a place to buy it, no matter how pretty it all is, doesn't make a successful business, In my observations, it's the major reason new businesses fail. I'm sure some of you with deep pockets or You corperate types who have never had to find the guts or earn the money to build a small business without Sugar Daddy Warbucks help will think I'm wrong. This E-Myth stuff is valid but it it's grade school lessons made to look like some kind of super-profound truth/solution. Well, it is, grade school true, now what Mr. Gerber, where's the solutions, spend, what, nearly 17,000 Sign up for what I thought I was getting when I bought the Books and tapes? What a greedy little tight wad! When are you going to write a book with substance? Hey Newbs! Trust me, yes you need real business skills, there are plenty of great business books out there, take some of that 17,000 and buy some and be careful with the rest you're going to need it.