Can a GPwSI niche down too much? I don’t believe you can. In a world where single organ specialists can have super niches like just corneas, just wrists, just epilepsy and help their patient group, you can develop a super niche. Why is this? Because internet.
Previously the other doctors in your practice would know of your niche, local referring doctors might know of your niche but that is it. Now you can be found through google on your own or the practice website, by google maps, by patient groups sharing a good experience. Through telehealth you are not limited to just consulting with the person in your suburb but around Australia.
The internet is an enourmous sorting machine – in the sea of information a patient with one specific problem can find you and you can help them with this problem.
There is no denying that the smaller a niche is, the less people will need your service however if you can help this group they will be thankful. Mothers with breast-feeding issues with multiple births? People with ADHD and depression? Aesthetic medicine in people prone to keloids? If you can identify a groups pain point and meet them there, they will be grateful and willing to pay for a solution.
You may also need to pull from a wider area to find all the people you can help. There will not be many parents with multiple births in your suburb but if you are consulting across the state or across the whole country, the numbers in your super niche begin to grow to support your area of practice.
So don’t be worried if the work that lights you up seems too small a niche – they will be appreciative patients. There will be work to do in allowing them to find you but we can work on this!