Scott C. Lindsay, D.O.

Work
Private practice in Wilmington, Ohio

Education
Medical school: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2005
Residency:
General surgery: Community General Osteopathic Hospital at Pinnacle Health, Harrisburg, Pa., 2009
Plastic and reconstructive surgery: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Doctors Hospital-Ohio Health, Columbus, Ohio, 2011

In practice since: September, 2011

Personal
Family includes wife, Heidi, and daughter, Alexa (2 ½). Lindsay enjoys gardening, cooking, spending time with his family, hunting and fishing. He’s a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins fan, and a proud member of the Steelers Nation.

What’s your advice for residents who are beginning their job search?

Go where you want to go. Whether you’re going to be an employed physician or taking the entrepreneur route and opening a practice, the practice will grow no matter where you are. You have to be happy in your surroundings, and your family has to be happy. I grew up in a tiny town in a rural area, and it was important to finally get back to that setting.

What surprised you about your first post-residency job or job search?

I opened my practice immediately after finishing residency, and I’ve been amazed at how little we learn about the business side of medicine during training. If you know you’re opening a practice, you have to start long in advance to start getting the key pieces in place to get it off the ground. I started the process almost a year before I finished residency.

What do you wish they had taught in med school but didn’t?

I think some business training is critical, especially if you’re planning to open a practice. I often joked that I felt like I was trying to get my MBA via Google as I was opening my practice.

Anything particularly unique about your physician job search?

Opening a practice is an enormous challenge on many levels. Utilize every resource you can, including your family, friends and colleagues. The advice I received from my colleagues was invaluable, and I’m still relying on them today.

Any other advice?

Opening a practice is a daunting prospect, especially financially. It’s difficult on many levels, and it takes an immense amount of work and dedication. I put in just as many hours now as in training because it’s my practice and I want to make sure it’s done right. But at the end of the day, I’m the boss and get to call the shots, and that makes it worth it.

I’m just careful and diligent about balancing my work and family. They are ultimately the most important thing in all of this, and I’m blessed to have such a wonderful wife and daughter!

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