Interview with Dr. Dana Corriel
Dana Corriel is an internist, speaker, coach and expert social media doctor. She completed medical school at the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, and her internal medicine residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
After Dana finished her residency, started practicing, and had three children, she needed some time off. “I chose, after my third child, to stay home. I felt like I needed to bond with my child. That was a personal decision, not a knock on anyone who works.”
Everyone needs a break to get back on track. It helped Dana realize she had interests and talents outside of medicine. “The irony of that was that I actually was just a good a mom when I worked, as when I didn't work, it was just me that I needed to discover during that break.”
Displaying Expertise
Coaching health care professionals on how to maximize their online presence, she created #SoMeDocs (“Doctors on Social Media”). It's a Facebook Group and business for physicians looking to impact health care and grow their business using available online tools.
Dana is also a writer, iPhone photographer, and creative entrepreneur. You can read her articles on KevinMD, Medium, Doximity and other media outlets. She’s also been writing on her blog, drcorriel.com since 2016.
Lately, she has doubled her efforts. Her Facebook Group has been growing quickly. Its members are an engaged group of physicians interested in using social media for their medical businesses and nonmedical careers. As you can imagine, she’s very active on all of the major social media sites. And she’s developed a following as an expert in the field.
Balancing Multiple Interests
It’s amazing how Dana integrates her clinical careers with multiple creative outlets. I was impressed by the way she weaves writing, travel, photography, family, business and medicine into her life. And I get the feeling that she’s just getting started.
“I do all kinds of things. I write, I photograph, travel. But the entire overarching theme is, things that are creative and out of the box.”
“It's about leveraging whatever platform you like. And honestly, if you actually like to do it, then it becomes about having fun. It's no longer about working. That's the magic of using social media.”
Dana leverages several social media platforms for her clinical practice and non-clinical activities. “In my writings, I delve into travel; that is not medical. But I also write about healthcare.”
She started Social Media Doctors (a.k.a., SoMeDocs) as a resource to help other physicians use social media. “We can use it to increase our patient load. We can use it to better health care by taking on a topic that we're passionate about. It's also about networking. It's about beating burnout.”
Announcements
Dr. Heather Fork, physician career coach at Doctors Crossing, recently featured a written interview with me on her blog. Check it out if you want to know a little bit more about what I’m doing, how I started this podcast, and my perspective on career change.
Also, look over all of Heather’s other blog posts. She’s an awesome writer and physician advocate. She’s an icon in career transition because she’s been coaching for TEN years and has helped literally hundreds of physicians, maybe even thousands, find joy and fulfillment in their careers.
You can find our interview at A Podcast You Don't Want to Miss.
Our Sponsor
We're proud to have the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA Program, offered by the Haslam College of Business, as the sponsor of this podcast.
The UT PEMBA is the longest running, and most highly respected physician-only MBA in the country, with over 650 graduates. Unlike other programs, which typically run 1 – 1/2 to 2 years, this program only takes a year to complete. And Economist Magazine recently ranked the business school #1 in the world for the Most Relevant Executive MBA.
University of Tennessee PEMBA students bring exceptional value to their organizations. While in the program, you'll participate in a company project, thereby contributing to your organization.
Graduates have taken leadership positions at major healthcare organizations. And they've become entrepreneurs and business owners.
By joining the University of Tennessee physician executive MBA, you will develop the business and management skills you need to advance your career. To find out more, contact Dr. Kate Atchley’s office by calling (865) 974-6526 or go to vitalpe.net/physicianmba.
Using Twitter
According to Dana, “Don't just tweet to tweet. Remember the following:
- Stay positive
- Include others
- Be careful about tagging people
- Collaborate
- Be respectful”
Physicians are People, Too
Physicians tell their patients to exercise, eat right, stress less, and get enough sleep. Maybe doctors should take their own advice. “We all need an outlet. Our gas tank needs to be full to give to others. It is not selfish to focus on yourself because you will be a better server to others.”
To avoid burnout as a physician:
- Take a break to reset and reassess your goals.
- Bring balance into your life by doing other things that interest you, even while practicing.
By doing all the things that I was doing on social media, I was seeing an outlet for myself. I was seeing my burnout resolve. I was seeing my career advance to an amazing degree.
Dana Corriel
Take Time Off
Parents also need a break sometimes. “You're a better parent when you recharge, and you actually take time away from your kids.”
However, time together is even better. “We made a decision to travel frequently and more regularly as a family. Our kids are still young enough to enjoy experiences with us. My blog is going to remain a memory that my kids can literally look back on.”
Summary
I think we can all learn from Dana's example. If we're feeling overly stressed with our current situation, we should step back, take control of our lives, and create more balance. Start slowly, and gradually make it work.
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Links for today's episode:
Dr. Dana Corriel
Dr. Dana Corriel on Facebook
Dr. Dana Corriel on Instagram
Dr. Dana Corriel on Pinterest
Dr. Dana Corriel on LinkedIn
Dr. Dana Corriel on Twitter
Dr. Dana Corriel’s Email
SoMeDocs
SoMeDocs Facebook Group
Dr. Dana Corriel on KevinMD
Harvard Medical School Conference: Writing, Publishing, and Social Media for Healthcare Professionals
Rush University: Women in Medicine Summit 2019
Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University
Albert Einstein College of Medicine – Montefiore
Physician Blogs: Non-Clinical Physician Authored Blogs
Thanks to our sponsor…
Thanks to the UT Physician Executive MBA program for sponsoring the show. It’s an outstanding, highly rated, MBA program designed for working physicians. It might be just what you need to prepare for that joyful, well-paying career. You can find out more at vitalpe.net/physicianmba.
I hope to see you next time on the PNC Podcast.
If you enjoyed today’s episode, share it on Twitter and Facebook, and leave a review on iTunes.
Disclaimers:
The opinions expressed here are mine and my guest’s. While the information provided on the podcast is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge, there is no express or implied guarantee that using the methods discussed here will lead to success in your career, life or business.
Many of the links that I refer you to, and that you’ll find in the show notes, are affiliate links. That means that I receive a payment from the seller if you purchase the affiliate item using my link. Doing so has no effect on the price you are charged. And I only promote products and services that I believe are of high quality and will be useful to you, that I have personally used or am very familiar with.
The information presented on this blog and related podcast is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. It should not be construed as medical, legal, tax, or emotional advice. If you take action on the information provided on the blog or podcast, it is at your own risk. Always consult an attorney, accountant, career counsellor, or other professional before making any major decisions about your career.
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