Digital Transformers in Medicine — What’s the Rx?
- What is a brand?
- What signals people to identify with a certain person or style?
- What causes us to engage with certain people, yet ignore others?
- How do you define value?
These are some questions that have been on my mind lately, and to be honest — I have been chewing on branding and value for quite some time. I feel they have been and will be integral to my success.
In a January 2020 Career / Performance review, I wrote the following.
***(Pro Tip: take performance and career planning discussions seriously — you never know where they may lead)
What opportunities are you interested in learning more about? Why?
- The new and exciting “Big Blue” that Brett Wall and Geoff Martha speak about is a Medtronic with a re-engaged Mission, a clarified Vision and vastly-improved Culture — especially compared to the Medtronic that I left in 2010. I am interested in capitalizing on the momentum and helping to bolster the Medtronic brand. To become a brand ambassador.
- It’s been my experience that many surgeons and sales reps don’t realize the “new Medtronic” — the procedural solutions, leadership, innovation and drive that I see today. I would be honored to help change the narrative I’ve observed over several years in the field, traveling the Western US, meeting with surgeons, sales reps and leadership — from my company as well as worthy rivals (Simon Sinek).
Lately, due to CV-19 and to accomplish this narrative-change at scale, I am optimizing my reach via Social platforms (LinkedIn/Instagram).
- Culture inspires people, which leads to results. This is an extension of our competitive hire strategy. Perhaps there are more ways and new ways to take share.
A strategy I am now leading for CST.
- Utilizing digital branding and social media coupled with a unified message and presence at 3rd party meetings will lead to more competitive sales reps finding Medtronic.
Everything above in Italic I wrote in my January 2020 Career Development review — over a year ago — and since that time, I have connected with several competitive spine reps, hired a few, lost my job to RIF, promoted to a new position — and dove head first into my own digital transformation, which has inspired this blog post.
Reach further than your grasp
I have seen a couple posts go “viral” in my LinkedIn journey — which I will define as anything with 20,000 unique eyeballs or “views.” (People have different definitions of what constitutes viral. In this case, 20K represents ~10x of followers… seems like a good enough standard for some random bald guy on IG & LinkedIn.
Feb 2020 post — Advancement in Stealth Navigation & Robotics course in Vegas (26,000 views in 1 week)
When first looking back at this, I had assumed all of those views may have been the allure of ‘Vegas’ and a rather unique amalgamation of ‘pictures in Vegas’ posted on LinkedIn. However, a post from last week had Zero pictures and reached 25K in 5 days, thus shattering that theory:
March 2021 post — Medtronic Forbes/MedReps/Diversity rankings to attract top spine reps to MDT’s Cranial & Spinal Technologies Operating Unit (Spine/Neuro/Navigation/Robotics):
No doubt, Medtronic is a global brand with a massive following. That for sure helps. MDT is name that I am very proud to represent on my badge, and I hope that I represent them well. Also, I feel that people like to hear stories, especially behind the scenes. I am a storyteller by nature, and truly appreciate you reading this. I hope that you are gaining knowledge and perspective. That’s the goal.
For the main course of the meal — let’s examine a friend and surgeon customer in San Diego who is utilizing Social Media to his advantage.
Surgeon Marketing & Branding
More and more of our Surgeon customers are using Social Media platforms to build their brand and practice. If you listen to branding experts Matthew Ray Scott or Joe Mullings (you should) this “Digital Transformation” is the way of the future, and is already happening today by some “first-movers” or “category creators” as Mullings describes them.
Dr. Martin Pham, Neurosurgeon at UCSD is a customer, friend, and one of my favorite Instagram follows.
Dr. Pham is as real as they come — sharing his journey from a 1st year Medical Student to an accomplished Neurosurgeon. He also shares his other hobbies like woodworking and weightlifting (a hobby I also enjoy) which make him relatable. Dr. Pham’s content is special because he gives his followers a rare glimpse into feelings and emotions and truths which reflect the raw, radical and underreported side of practicing medicine.
Dr. Pham’s topics address fears and doubts as a young Medical Student — which make the things he’s doing today (brain surgery and complex spinal reconstruction) all the more incredible. My personal favorite posts share the excitement and triumph in saving a human’s life. It is an absolute treat to peek inside the mind and life of Martin Pham, and I encourage you to follow him.
Currently, Dr. Pham (as well as Dr. Greg Poulter — OrthoIndy) are pioneering and leading the charge for robotic-assisted single position lateral surgery — a game changing combination of technology and workflow — which Dr. Pham and Dr. Poulter believe to provide better, more predictable outcomes versus the traditional procedures.
On a professional level, it has been thrilling to be a small part of Dr. Pham’s journey. The Medtronic team in San Diego has been critical in the implementation of Pham’s aforementioned workflow along with the OR nurses and staff. This won’t be the last you’ll hear about Dr. Pham’s practice and his OR team.
In closing…
What is a brand?
- A brand is your identity. It’s how you are received and perceived by the world. Dr. Pham’s brand is an excellent young Neurosurgeon sharing his story while treating patients with the latest surgical methods utilizing MIS, OLIF, robotics, AI, Data analytics and predictive surgical outcomes.
- I’m not exactly sure where my brand will ultimately land. Still flying, evolving, workshopping and gauging what and where my impact will be. I am just choosing to tell my story as I figure some things out. I hope you enjoy the ride.
What signals people to identify with a certain person or style? What causes us to engage with certain people, yet ignore others?
- I believe people identify with others who are genuine, raw and real. I know I do, which is why I’m a huge fan of Martin Pham. I also try to be genuine and bring enthusiasm, passion as I reflect on some lessons learned. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I just hope that something you see or hear helps you.
How does someone define value?
- Value, like trust, is something you earn. What that value is depends on the need, however it is my thought that many people need or gravitate towards some type of motivation or accountability to become the best version of themselves. Whether it be in business, fitness, or developing healthy habits — I strive to provide that motivation and value for you.