I am Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.
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The elephant in the exam room: most physiatrists weren’t trained to be confident entrepreneurs—we were trained to not screw up.
We were taught to double-check our orders, obsess over outcomes, and stay within the guardrails of “safe” medicine. But here’s the harsh reality—that mindset keeps you stuck. You can’t build a profitable physiatry practice if your confidence crumbles every time you face uncertainty.
Confidence isn’t something you have. It’s something you build.
And here’s what elite performers (the ones who crush it in business, athletics, and the arts) know that most doctors never learn: confidence is procedural.
Let’s break it down like a guided injection: precise, controlled, and deeply impactful.
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1. Confidence Isn’t a Pep Talk. It’s a Protocol.
Saying “I’m confident” when you don’t have systems in place is like saying “I can lift this patient” without checking their chart—reckless and likely to end in back pain.
Elite performers don’t talk themselves into confidence. They prepare themselves into it.
In your practice, that means developing repeatable procedures:
- A patient intake system that never leaves you guessing
- A pre-consult checklist that ensures clinical and business readiness
- Weekly business reviews to keep your numbers tight and your focus sharper
Confidence is built into your process, not your personality.
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2. Get Specific or Get Spun
Vague confidence is useless. “I feel good about this” doesn’t mean anything when you’re negotiating a lease, pricing a new service, or leading your first staff meeting.
Elite performers build situational confidence—confidence in exact scenarios.
So stop aiming for “I’m confident in business” and start aiming for:
- “I am confident when explaining value to a referral partner”
- “I am confident running a team meeting using a 15-minute huddle format”
- “I am confident walking away from a contract that doesn’t serve me”
Specificity is your safety net.
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3. Confidence on Call: You Need a Confidence Recovery Plan (Stat)
Spoiler: you will mess up. An ad won’t convert. A hire won’t work out. A referral source might ghost you.
Most docs spiral. Elite performers recover.
They’ve baked recovery into their strategy. Ask yourself:
- Do I have a “post-failure debrief” process?
- Who’s my support call when I’m questioning everything?
- What’s my script for bouncing back after a bad month?
The longer you stay in shame, the longer your business stalls.
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4. Doubt Is a Feature—Not a Bug
Think confidence means you feel bulletproof? Think again.
Elite performers use confident doubt: they trust their process, but they double-check the variables. They ask, “What am I missing?” not because they’re weak—but because they’re wise.
If you’re afraid to launch your practice because of doubt, good news: doubt means you’re thinking. Pair it with process, and that’s where mastery lives.
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Final Thought:
Confidence isn’t about feeling good. It’s about being prepared, specific, resilient, and humble enough to question yourself while still moving forward.
Physiatrists who understand this build profitable, purpose-driven practices. Those who don’t? They stay stuck in someone else’s system, treating someone else’s patients…building someone else’s dream.
Dr. Hassan | Business Coach for Physiatrists
Helping you build unshakable confidence—and a practice that pays for it.
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Once you’ve decided that you want to leave your current job to start your practice, you need an exit plan. Check out our blog post here for tips on developing an exit plan and starting your new independent practice.
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I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.
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Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com
