LinkedIn is the largest and fastest growing social networking site in the world with 300 million current members. People use this site for a variety of reasons including seeking employment, networking, gaining referrals, maintaining partnerships and recruiting.
In light of the popularity of LinkedIn, are medical practitioners using this site for professional reasons? If not, should they?
Although patients don’t often review a doctor’s CV on LinkedIn before scheduling an appointment, they should be able to. Below are several reasons medical professionals should consider using LinkedIn.
- Keep your options open. You may be completely happy at the hospital or facility at which you work with no desire to relocate, but you truly never know what can happen or when you may need to make a switch.
- Don’t limit your opportunities. Even if you are 100% content, an opportunity you never dreamed of could come your way.
- Stay in control. You can’t always control how people rate you or what they say about you on the internet, but on LinkedIn you are in control of your own CV. It is a “home plate for your personal brand.”
- Track relationships. LinkedIn is an excellent tool to stay in touch with other professionals you know or may have met at seminars.
- Keep up with the professional world. It is also a great tool to stay up to date on who is speaking, which doctor relocated or switched positions and a variety of industry news you may find valuable.
- Teach others about yourself. Other medical professionals can learn about you and your practice.
Choosing to use LinkedIn or other social networking sites is a preference and a choice. However, the more open and available you are to prospective patients, the better.
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