February 2004

An audience of four

by Dr. Jon Baker

Would you act differently if every time you did anything a "20/20" camera, your parents, and your coach were over your shoulder watching you?

This question could certainly get you to think couldn't it? We put it to each of our one‑on‑one clients regularly and we've found it makes focusing and doctoring easier.

Think about it. Each time you performed a consultation or examination, took an x‑ray, wrote a report of findings or did an adjustment, there was your audience of four over your shoulder. What if they were there when you were out at the gym, or out for cocktails, or out of your area at a seminar or function?

Some of you are ready to stop reading now because this is plain common sense. Yet, B.J. Palmer once wrote, "common sense is not so common." Do you know that of all the reasons D.C.s fail in practice, lack of passion and little common sense may be the two biggest? Consider these facts and the fact that passion and common sense are not taught in school. Maybe they should be. Maybe they can't be.

Going back to the model of the audience of four, with that audience looking over your shoulder, would you ever recommend less care than you knew a patient needed just because insurance only paid for 20 visits? Or, recommend more care or more modalities or more procedures just because you knew they'd be covered? Would you refuse someone care just because he or she couldn't afford it?

The "what if" scenarios could go on forever ‑‑ and they do. Whenever there was any question for me in practice, I always remembered the title of the late Dr. Fred Barge's book "Are you the Doctor, Doctor?" That title has helped build my confidence over the years.

Whether you use the audience of four scenario or Dr. Barge's book title, I hope you always do what's right. Remember, in any decision the best thing to do is the right thing, the second best thing to do is the wrong thing and the worst thing of all to do is nothing.

We are all chiropractic brothers and sisters in the public's eye. You know, all for one and one for all. Whenever one of us does something great or terrible it reflects on all of us.

(Dr. Jon Baker has been in active practice in Modesto, California since 1985 and runs New Beginnings Chiropractic Consulting and Seminars. His specialty is the one‑on‑one coaching/consulting of individual chiropractors and their staff on procedures, passion, profitability, and action steps toward creating dream practices. Call 209/915‑0957 for information on personal one‑on‑one consulting and upcoming seminars.)