5 Things We Didn't Expect When Opening A Ketamine Clinic

Opening a ketamine clinic was on my mind for a long time. It had been rolling around in my head for two years before I took action. Next thing I know, I’m standing in our clinic, looking at an infusion pump, comfy chairs, and shelving. 

I’ve done the research about ketamine clinics and talked to many doctors. I was even more confident in running our business given my MBA. Yet, nothing can really prepare you when you’re actually experiencing something first hand. No amount of research can compare to doing it yourself. In this blog post, were going to share with you 5 Things We Didn’t Expect When Opening A Ketamine Clinic

#1 You Get To Wear A Lot Of Hats

I kind of expected this. Being an emergency medicine doctor, I’m used to being a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. But I never expected to have these many hats when I first opened. 

I have my customer service hat to answer calls about ketamine-related questions. I have a doctor hat to prepare and give the ketamine infusion. I have the manager hat to hire and train staff. I have the handyman that whenever the toilet requires fixing or a light bulb needs changing. You get the picture!

Although it can be tiring, it helped me understand the ins and outs of my business. I’ve done all the jobs in my clinic, so I have “retired hats” because I have hired people to take over some of these jobs. Because I’ve done these tasks myself, I now know exactly what can I expect of them and when a job is well done.

#2 Finding The Right Employees Can Take Some Time

When I told colleagues about my clinic, I had many people reach out saying they’d love to work with me. This led me to think that it would be easy to staff the clinic  I thought that I’d have multiple rooms and multiple clinics while relaxing on a beach in Bali drinking Mai Tai’s! I joke but am not too off. 

I thought it would be really easy to hire staff, but this is not a traditional medical clinic. It was a bit more challenging than I expected because my clinic is not a classic 8 to 5 clinic, Monday through Friday. People want steady work, and when you first start out you won’t immediately have steady work to provide them. This can discourage some people from working with you.

#3 It Can Take A Bit Longer Than You Think To Get Patients

Now this part is of course location/pricing/competition dependent. I chose to open in Palm Springs California. There were no ketamine clinics in this area. But, I knew there were individuals who would be willing to pay for ketamine infusions.  The population in this area, the Coachella Valley to be specific, is on the smaller side. It's also very seasonal due to the heat (dipping down to 200,000 in July and up to 800,000 during the winter months, according to some sources). Don’t expect -- unless you have perhaps an amazing marketing team --to have patients knocking down your door to open up.  From opening our doors to infusing our first patient took about a few weeks.

What I’m trying to say here is don’t get fooled by what you read on the internet or how other ketamine clinics are doing. Yes you too can be extremely busy, but that can take some time. Be patient while waiting for your patients.

#4 You Don’t Have To See Every Patient - You Can Say “No”

Working in the ER, this isn’t an option. You always have to take care of the patient in front of you. If there is a patient in need, then all the medical training instilled in me drives me to say “yes” and take care of them. Seeing patients in a ketamine clinic is very different from an ER. Many patients contact me for consultations and I have to remind myself I can say, “no”. Sometimes it’s easy, like if there are contraindications for providing ketamine infusions. But sometimes I’ll encounter a couple scenarios where it’s a big gray, where I could say “yes” but my gut says “no”. There are patients who do not have a medical contraindication. But after having a consultation, I’ll get a sense that I won’t be able to deliver on their expectations.

Another situation is where I can give them ketamine, but they have issues with my price (i.e. it’s “too expensive”). Some also express dissatisfaction that I currently don’t take any insurance policies. I can say “no” or a “no thank you” to these patients.  I often have to remind myself that I don’t have to see each person that calls or consults. 

#5 It’s So Gratifying

Working in a hospital, sometimes I can feel like a cog in a giant machine. When I am working in my clinic, it is my own. While I can get replaced in the hospital/ER, I am more indispensable in my clinic. This is my baby. I take pride when a patient has an amazing breakthrough in their pain or their depression lifts, Them feeling better is thanks in part to the clinic I built.  

There is also no bureaucracy for me. If I want a new chair, or change a protocol… I can change it. I have only myself to answer to. But there is a flip side. If something isn’t going well, such as an unsatisfied patient or an unproductive staff member, that’s on me.  The good and bad that happen are because of what I do or don’t do.  That’s called ownership. Ownership of my life and business. 

It Is So Much More Than a Business

Hope this is helpful for anyone out there who is looking to open their own ketamine clinic! Opening, owning, and operating a ketamine clinic has brought me so much joy and growth. Not only that, it has also provided effective and rapid relief of depression, anxiety, and pain to so many people!

Are you ready to take action? Join our email list and be notified about the next free webinar and open registration for Ketamine StartUp.

Don’t get blindsided when starting and opening a ketamine clinic. As much as you prepare to start a business, you learn so much by doing it yourself. Make your journey a little easier and read our blog to find out 5 things we didn’t expect when opening a ketamine clinic.

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