Physician, know thyself: Applying brand management principles to professional identity in academic medicine

A career in medicine is a journey of countless opportunities, challenges and choices. Determining the "right" decision for any given career choice ultimately must come from within; thus, a clear understanding of a physician's core professional identity is critical. Existing conceptualizations of professional identity within medicine focus primarily on medical training; however, it is clear that professional identity evolves throughout one's career. We propose the use of brand management principles as a novel means of understanding and expressing a physician's evolving professional identity throughout their career.

We propose a conceptual framework for managing academic physician professional identity based upon brand management principles derived from marketing and consumer research literature. The four key framework elements include brand identity ("Who am I?"), brand delivery ("What actions do I choose to present myself to others"), brand experience ("How are my actions experienced by others?") and brand image ("How do others see me?"). Successful management of one's brand starts with understanding the core professional brand identity, then determining the best way to deliver this identity through specific actions experienced by target audiences (e.g., patients, collaborators, colleagues, employers, learners, promotion committees, etc.), and ends with the target audience having a clear and compelling brand image that reflects the underlying professional identity. Alignment of these components results in an array of benefits; misalignment can result in feelings of burnout or career stalling.

We contend that physicians can and should see themselves as their own unique brand. Though often confused with naked self-promotion, developing a professional brand is an identity exploration and reflection experience that allows individuals to better control the course of their careers. A strong personal brand has numerous practical applications; three key examples presented herein include navigating promotion through the professoriate, managing one's reputation and achieving professional fulfilment.