Look! It’s a bird, it’s a plane! It’s Super Doctor!
I received this award from Super Doctors, and I though I’d share it with you. In brief, only 5% of all doctors nationwide receive this award, so I am honored by being included in this cohort.
The selection processes for some peer-reviewed systems can be “gamed”, meaning you can write a check and pump up your ratings and stature, or you can stuff the ballot box either by yourself or by getting you mom, sister, and all your cousins to click-in and nominate you. Hardly fair. Below is how Super Doctors conducts their nomination and selection process. Despite the corny name, their methods do reflect thoughtfulness and an earnest desire to highlight doctors in communities nationwide who try to seek excellence. See their method:
The Super Doctors selection process
In selecting physicians for Super Doctors, Key Professional Media employs a rigorous multi-step process designed to identify physicians who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Super Doctors is a selective yet diverse listing of outstanding doctors, representing consumer-oriented medical specialties.
Survey of Doctors
- First, we create a pool of candidates. Each year Key Professional Media sends out thousands of ballots to doctors asking them to nominate colleagues they know to be exceptional in their specified field. Physicians are asked to consider the following question: “If you needed medical care in one of the following specialties, which doctor would you choose?” Numerous safeguards are in place to prevent ballot manipulation and doctors may not self-nominate.
Candidate Search
- Our research staff also contributes to the pool of candidates by searching medical databases, online sources, and publications for doctors who have attained certain credentials, honors or professional achievements – what we term ‘Star Search Credentials.’ This process also includes physicians in less visible or highly specialized medical treatment areas.
Research
We evaluate candidates on 10 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.
- Years of experience
- Hospital appointments
- Fellowships
- Professional activities
- Leadership positions
- Academic achievements/positions
- Board certifications
- Publications, lectures & presentations
- Honors and awards
- Other outstanding achievement
The Final Selection
- The last step is to total the points received from nominations, research, and blue ribbon panel review. Only the highest-scoring doctors are included on the Super Doctors list. The Super Doctors list is approximately 5% of the physicians within the respective state or region.
