Large Fees and How to Get Them: a Book for the Private Use of Physicians

CHAPTER I.. Medicine As a Business. Why Medicine As 11

MEDICINE AS A BUSINESS. Why Medicine as 11 Ordinarily Followed Is a Failure From the Business Standpoint—Physicians Themselves Mainly Responsible—Queer Ideas About Philanthropy—Poor Business Methods—Tactics that Pauperize One-half the Patients—Doctors Easy Prey for Sharpers—Evils of Medical Colleges—“Charitable” Hospitals Injure Regular Practitioners—Free Clinics and Dispensaries—The Medical “Tin God”—Absurdities of Ethics—How Some Physicians Get Notoriety—Freaks of the Profession—Things the Young Practitioner Should Avoid

CHAPTER II.. The Physician Who Succeeds. Qualifications 31

THE PHYSICIAN WHO SUCCEEDS. Qualifications 31 for a Big Fee-Getting Practitioner—The Kind of Men Who Make Money in the Practice of Medicine—Business Mistakes in the Profession—Why Many Doctors Fail—Old-Fashioned Ideas as to Set Fees—No Reason Why Physicians Should Not Use Judgment in Placing a Monetary Value on Their Services—Prompt Collection of Bills an Important Item—Attorneys, Architects, and Other Professional Men Afford Good Examples of Business Sense—The Beard and Its Dangers—Necessity for Scrupulous Cleanliness—An Experience in Iowa—Reasons Why Many Physicians Fail—Psychological Factor an Important One

CHAPTER III.. The Bugbear of Ethics. Intimidation of Young 43

THE BUGBEAR OF ETHICS. Intimidation of Young 43 Physicians—Overdoing the Ethical Proposition—Spying on the Beginners Illogical Advice—How Some Men Become Wealthy and Famous by Doing the Very Things They Denounce in Others—Clever Evasions of the Code—Schemes by Which Valuable Publicity Is Obtained—Actual Incidents Illustrating Methods Prevalent Among Physicians Who Keep Themselves Constantly Before the Public—Working the Newspapers—Employment of Press Agents—How They Get Free Write-ups for Their Principals—Fine Work by a Chicago Man in Popularizing a New Treatment—The Making of a Sensation—Newspaper Story that Made Certain Ethical Gentlemen Wealthy—Administration of Unknown Preparations by High Apostles of Ethics

CHAPTER IV.. Lawful to Advertise. Publicity Within Certain 61

LAWFUL TO ADVERTISE. Publicity Within Certain 61 Lines Necessary and Legitimate—Progressive Physicians Ignore Old Rule—Courts Uphold Right of Doctors to Make Their Qualifications Known in the Public Press—Time Brings Radical Changes—Numerous Reasons Why a Competent Practitioner Should Advertise—Futility of “Ethical” Opposition—Severe Judicial Rebuke for Medical Society Leaders Who Attempt to Debar and Discredit Men Who Advertise—Finding in the Celebrated Dr. McCoy Case—Indecent and Obnoxious Advertising—The Proper Kind—How to Obtain Valuable Publicity in a Dignified Manner

CHAPTER V.. Getting Country Patients. Making Connection 73

GETTING COUNTRY PATIENTS. Making Connection 73 With Prospective Patients—Again, the Intelligent Use of Newspapers—First Steps to Be Taken in the Location of Good Cases—Correspondence an Important Feature—The Kind of Letters that Inspire Confidence and Bring Patients to the Doctor’s Office—What a Physician Should and Should Not Say in His Correspondence—Specimen Letters—The Danger Line in Correspondence—Effect of the Right Kind of Letters—Humoring the Family Physician—Getting in Touch With the Latter—How to Make Him a Friendly Co-operator—Arranging for Country Trips—Proper Method of Procedure—Working on a Business Basis—Schedule for Receiving Callers—Reception of Stranger Doctors—Division of Fees to Secure Their Support—Treatment of Country Patients—How Big Fees Are Obtained

CHAPTER VI.. Reception of Office Patients. Attractive 93

RECEPTION OF OFFICE PATIENTS. Attractive 93 Quarters the First Essential—How to Select and Furnish Rooms—Reception of Strangers on Arrival—Separation of Callers—Reception Room Attendant an Important Factor—The Kind that Wins—Hints on Treatment of Callers—Recourse to Correspondence File Vitally Essential—How Letters Should Be Kept in Order to Get the Necessary Information Speedily—Letters Frequently Give Clues as to the Writer’s Business Calling and Financial Responsibility—Object in Making Callers Wait Before Physician Receives Them—How the Reception Room Attendant May Become a Valuable Ally—Stenographers Should Be Kept Out of Sight

CHAPTER VII.. The Correspondence File. Proper Handling of 103

THE CORRESPONDENCE FILE. Proper Handling of 103 Correspondence One of the Vital Essentials to Success—Life Blood of the Specialist’s Practice—Right Kind of Correspondence Clerk an Indispensable Ally—Method of Keeping Letters on File So as to Secure Best Results—Sample Letters that Bring Large Financial Returns—Methods of a Competent Correspondence Clerk—How He Makes Money for His Employer—Tracing the Financial Rating of Strangers—Securing Names and Addresses of Prospective Patients—Utilization of Newspaper Clippings—“Follow-up” Systems—Advantage of Using Plain Envelopes in Writing to Strangers—Obtaining Testimonial Letters from Patients—Use of These Letters in Attracting New Comers—Conducting Correspondence With People in Small Towns—Purpose in Avoiding Duplication of Testimonials

CHAPTER VIII.. Getting At Financial Status. How to Ascertain 119

GETTING AT FINANCIAL STATUS. How to Ascertain 119 the Monetary Resources of Callers Who Appear Unannounced—Line of Conversation That Will Lead Any Man to Unwittingly Reveal His Financial Standing—Free Examinations and How Smart Specialists Make of Them a Big Drawing Card—Bringing a Caller to the Point of Submitting to an Examination—Means by Which an Impression is Made—Benefit in Keeping an “Assistant” Within Handy Reach—Clinching the Caller as a Patient—Avoiding the Naming of a Definite Time for Treatment—Reasons Why Some Specialists Fail to Obtain Good Fees—Lack of Tact in Getting at a Caller’s Ability to Pay a Reasonable Fee—Crude Tactics that Defeat the Purpose of the Physician—Danger in Too Much Haste and Rash Promises—Modesty Properly Applied the Great Winner

CHAPTER IX.. Deciding Upon the Fee. Value of Psychological 131

DECIDING UPON THE FEE. Value of Psychological 131 Influence in Acting at the Right Moment—Just as Easy to Get Big Fees as Small Ones—Experience of a Young Physician—Great Difference in Patients—An Exhibition of “Gall”—Incubus of the Old Dollar-Fee System—When to Name the Fee and How to Fix Upon the Amount—What the Practitioner Should Say and Do in Order to Secure Large Payments—How Reduction May Be Gracefully Made When a Patient Protests Against the Amount—Dealing With “Tight Wads”—How to Skilfully Dangle the Bait of Health Without Actually Promising Results—Taboo on the Word “Cure”—Bringing the Caller Who Hesitates Down to the Point of Positive Action—System to Be Followed in Deciding Upon Amount of Fee a Patient Will Pay

CHAPTER X.. Getting Fees in Advance. How the Money May Be 141

GETTING FEES IN ADVANCE. How the Money May Be 141 Secured Before Treatment Is Started—Undue Haste, or Evident Desire to Get the Cash, Bad Policy—Putting the Patient’s Mind in Condition to Make Advance Payment—A Successful Fee Getter’s Line of Talk—Creation of Confidence in the Physician’s Ability and Honesty the Main Factor—Making Sure of Payment When Partial Credit Is Extended—Method of Drawing Notes That Are Readily Negotiable and Non-Contestable—Inducing Patients to Sign Iron-Clad Notes—When and How to Act—Turning Checks and Notes Into Cash—Weeding Out the Payers and Non-Payers—What to Say When a Patient Objects to Signing a Note—Smart Man Easiest to Deal With—Instance in Which a Banker Paid a $2,500 Fee Twice—How a $10,000 Fee, Definitely Settled Upon, Was Lost

CHAPTER XI.. Getting Additional Fees. Patients Who Have 153

GETTING ADDITIONAL FEES. Patients Who Have 153 Paid Big Fees for Treatment Almost Invariably Good for a Second Payment—Lines Upon Which More Money May Be Had—Men of 50 Years and Over Gold Mines When They Have the Means—How to Handle Them—Dangling the “Sexual Vigor” Bait in a Delicate and Effective Manner—Suggestions of Supplementary Treatments That Bring Additional Fees—Arrangements With Occulists, Pharmacists, Surgeons and Instrument Dealers That Add Materially to the Physician’s Income—How Patients Are Induced to Patronize the Specialist’s Allies—Secret Ciphers That Result in Extravagant Charges—Division of the Proceeds—Adventure With an Undertaker—Doctors Who “Sponge” Upon Their Professional Brethren

CHAPTER XII.. Proper Handling of Notes. Kind of Note That 171

PROPER HANDLING OF NOTES. Kind of Note That 171 is Negotiable and Easily Discounted—Manner in Which Such a Note Should be Drawn—Defects in Ordinary Form of Promissory Note—Ease With Which Payment May Be Evaded or Delayed—Difficulties in the Way of Enforcing Collection—An Iron-clad Promise to Pay That Binds the Maker—Avoidance of Litigation and Attendant Expense—What to Do With Notes When Taken for Medical Services—How to Dispose of “Paper” to Bankers Who Know the Financial Responsibility of the Signers—Successful Method of a Chicago Physician Who Handles Considerable “Paper”—The Collection Agent Evil

CHAPTER XIII.. Prescribing of Remedies. Why Physicians 179

PRESCRIBING OF REMEDIES. Why Physicians 179 Should Dispense Their Own Prescriptions—Trouble With Present System of Drug-store Dispensing—Number of Drugs Actually Required in Practice Limited—Duplication of Prescriptions by Pharmacists an Injustice to Doctors—Proprietary Medicine Fakirs—Prescribing Secret Formula Preparations—How Many Practitioners Are Hoodwinked—Positive Injury in Prescribing Remedies by Trade Names—Violation of Code in Using Preparations With Unknown Ingredients—Value of Mystery in the Administration of Drugs—Unwise to Let Patients Know Too Much About Their Prescriptions—Why All Remedies Should Be Designated in Latin—Views of Dr. Osler on Drug Prescribing

CHAPTER XIV.. Medical “steerers” and Their Work. Method by 187

MEDICAL “STEERERS” AND THEIR WORK. Method by 187 Which Many Physicians Obtain Patients—Men Who Make a Business of Directing Invalids Where to Go for Treatment—Commercial Diplomats—Their Style of Work—Large Incomes—How Sufferers Are Approached—The Kind of Talk That Wins the Confidence of the Sufferer—Directing the Victim to a Physician—Landing the Patient in the Doctor’s Office—The Steerer’s Commission—How He Protects Himself and Insures Square Treatment by the Doctor—Opportunities for Obtaining Patients—Leading Hotels Favorite Places of Operation—Old Brace Faro Game Worked in New Form—Women Steerers and Their Methods

CHAPTER XV.. What Should the Physician Do? Various 195

WHAT SHOULD THE PHYSICIAN DO? Various 195 Remedies Proposed for Existing Conditions—Too Many Doctors in the Land—Not Enough Patients to Go Around—What the Medical Colleges Are Doing—Over 5,000 Doctors Made Every Year in the Strictly Ethical Schools Alone—Temptations of Young Physicians—What Men Like Dr. Evans and Dr. King Have to Say—Prominent Practitioners Endorse Division of Fees as an Act of Justice—Prof. George Burman Foster on the Profession as Allied to Business—No Reason Why There Should Be Any Distinction Between the Two

CHAPTER XVI.. Corporation Doctors. Evils of the Contract 207

CORPORATION DOCTORS. Evils of the Contract 207 Plan—How It Injures the Regular Practitioner and the Contract Doctor Himself—Miserly Economy by Corporations—Disastrous Competition Among Physicians—Life Insurance Examiners and Their Lack of Business Sense—Moral as Well as Medical Honesty Dwarfed by the Corporation System—Contract Doctors Expected to Hide the Truth to Retain Their Jobs—Beggarly Salaries Paid by Corporations—Practice Wrongfully Diverted from Doctors Entitled to It—Collusion Between Corporation Doctors and Claim Agents—Sick and Injured Employees Often Induced to Sign Away Their Rights by Misrepresentation or Intimidation—The Drawbacks of Promiscuous Fraternizing

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PREFACE

There are some methods explained in this book which the author does not endorse. They are printed because they are necessary to a thorough understanding of the subject. Newspapers publish reports of murders, but this does not imply endorsement of the crimes.

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