"I tried hiring someone for digital marketing once. They promised the moon and stars - top Google rankings, loads of new patients.

But after taking my money, they vanished!

Now I'm wary of the whole digital marketing scene. How do I know who to trust?

It's embarrassing to admit, but I feel like I've got a target on my back when it comes to these marketing services.

They see 'doctor' and assume I've got deep pockets and no clue about digital stuff – and to be fair, they're half right. I don't know much about SEO or PPC or whatever alphabet soup they're selling.

But I do know when I'm being taken for a ride, and it leaves a bitter taste.

The worst part is, I can see the potential. I've got colleagues who've done well with digital marketing, reaching new patients and growing their practices.

But for every success story, I hear three horror stories of doctors being scammed or left with nothing to show for their investment. It makes me hesitant to try again, even though I know I'm probably missing out on opportunities to help more people.

And let's talk about the pressure. Every other day, I get calls or emails from someone promising to revolutionize my online presence.

They throw around buzzwords and show flashy presentations. Part of me wants to believe them – after all, they're the experts, right?

But another part remembers getting burned and wants to slam the door on all of it. It's exhausting, trying to filter the genuine opportunities from the scams.

What really gets me is feeling like I'm falling behind. Medicine is my passion and my expertise, but in today's world, it seems like that's not enough.

I need to be a marketing whiz too, or at least know enough to hire the right people. But how? There's no crash course in digital marketing for doctors.

So here I am, stuck between knowing I need to do something and being afraid to make a move. It's a lonely, frustrating place to be."