Join a LinkedIn Group

Author: Michelle Mudge-Riley, DO, MHA

How do you find the right LinkedIn groups to join? You’ve put together your LinkedIn profile. You have a professional picture on your profile. So what’s next? Have you joined any groups?

LinkedIn groups are informal communities of like-minded people based around a common industry, topic, profession or geography. There are hundreds of thousands of groups.



What’s the best way to choose the right groups for you? And how can joining a group help you?
The most important thing to do is to consider your goals. Are you looking to network with more people? If you are interested in a career change, you probably want to learn what’s out there. Consider joining groups that have nothing to do with clinical medicine. This will help you meet a broader range of people and expose you to new ideas and possible job leads. A couple good ones to start with are the SEAK Non-Clinical Careers group and the Society of Physicians with Non-Clinical Careers (SPNCC) group. If you have an interest in learning more about physician executive careers, join the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) group.

Once you’ve joined a few groups, try to find a discussion and start to participate. You can do this by responding to questions or topics posted by others in the group. Try to stay somewhat regular in your participation but don’t go overboard and try to post a response to every discussion.

About the author:

Dr. Mudge-Riley is a senior consultant for brokerage firms, health systems and large employers in wellness and health promotion and President of Physicians Helping Physicians in Richmond, Virginia.  She has spent the past seven years advising and coaching other doctors in their career by counseling physicians on business skills, assisting with compliance and risk management issues and mentoring in personal wellness and balance.  She has worked with hundreds of doctors and in various health systems located throughout the United States. To read more about Dr. Mudge-Riley, click here.