Medicine is Entering its “Star Athlete” Era

I’ll start by saying I’m a Buffalo Bills fan. Josh Allen is my hero. Period. But… I’ve always been, and always will be, a Buffalo Bills fan with or without Josh (please, GOD, never take him away though).

This is relevant because I’m sure you’ve seen a shift in sports team loyalty. Back in the day (like 10+ years ago), you were loyal to the team you grew up with. Your parent, older cousin, or best friend loved the Eagles, so you loved the Eagles.

Loyalties have shifted from franchises to individuals. Research shows younger Americans (under 34) are twice as likely to say they’re fans of specific athletes rather than teams.

In the era of the personal brand, this makes sense to me. And immediately got my wheels spinning on how this could impact doctors, medical practices and hospitals. 

My hypothesis 

Hospitals, departments, and practices operate a lot like sports franchises:

• They recruit talent

• They build infrastructure

• They run operations

• They create a system for performance

• And there’s a lot of politics and egos involved

Every medium-to-large medical practice, department or hospital I’ve worked with have their star players. 🏅 The ones always up for an interview, innovating at every opportunity, and with the top patient satisfaction scores & NPS.

It’s these high achievers who lift the reputation of the entire group. Just like LeBron did for the Cavs. Just like our boy Josh Allen. 🫶🏼

I see it all the time: Patients comment on posts featuring one of these ‘all star’ doctors saying things like, “He saved my life!”, “She’s my dad’s surgeon!” “We’re so lucky to have him!”. They’re so proud to be affiliated with the person, and not so much the group.

This is a great example of how humans crave connection from other humans — not institutions.

It’s these personal brands — these brand identities as I’m now calling them — that are attractive. They’re engaging. They’re captivating. And they’re more trustworthy.

Given the state of the world (and the fact that Pluto is in Aquarius — IYKYK), we’re collectively opening our eyes to the fact that structures and institutions we used to rely on are crumbling. We’re more skeptical than ever. And with the rise of AI, the discernment of reality & trustworthiness is going to be even more amplified.

To the doctors & clinicians

Don’t let this cause you to spiral. 🌀 It’s an opportunity.

If you’re taking ownership of your brand identity now, you’re already winning. When patients seek care, they want to connect with expert, compassionate, and real humans.

They can ChatGPT any question about their health. But guess what…

• A recent study found ChatGPT’s medical-query accuracy ranged widely, from ~20% to 95% depending on the scenario.

• A study found ChatGPT’s final diagnosis accuracy was ~77%, but only ~60% on differential diagnoses, ~68% on treatment decisions.

While AI is a great tool and people are using it to learn more about their conditions, it’s not replacing you. BUT… it’s making it harder to connect. You used to get away with posting education. Now, users go to AI for that. You have to bring something else. And that something else, is your unique edge. Your “Spark”, as I call it.

So when you show up on social media and other public platforms as the expert who knows more than a robot — and has a pulse — you’re the one people connect to.

Not your ‘team’… YOU!

This enables you to be the Michael Jordan of your hospital, the Simone Biles of your department, or the Tom Brady of your practice.

Your brand lifts the entire team.

And the numbers back it up:

• A 2025 report states 84% of patients check online reviews before choosing a provider, and 51% read at least six reviews before deciding

• Nearly all of them search the individual’s name, not the institution

• Surgeons with an active digital presence get more referrals, more inquiries, and more patient trust (and patient trust = better outcomes)

To the marketing directors & practice managers

If I were running the marketing plans for a health system, hospital, department or practice (which I have done in previous roles, BTW), I’d be running the numbers on who would be the most ideal physician brand ambassadors.

Meet with them. Develop a digital and PR strategy. And focus on that with all your energy. Cultivate trust of the entire team by using strong individual brand advocates.

Get over the fear that they might leave and take their brand power with them. I hear that a lot, but it’s short-sighted. If they leave, you deal with it, but use their “Spark” while you have it.

(Hot tip: Before bringing on a brand ambassador, do some investigative research on who you select to ensure they’re ‘brand safe’. No skeletons, please.)

About Atria Social

Atria Social is a healthcare social media agency founded by Amanda Dougherty (formerly Amanda Clark), MBA. We specialize in branding, social media strategy, and digital marketing built exclusively for doctors, surgeons, clinicians, and medical practices. Services include The Atria Method, Doctor Brand Lab, and Social Media Triage. We've supported 200+ physicians and practices nationwide. Learn more at atriasocial.com.