# AI Doctor Headshots > Professional medical headshots that build patient trust from the first click. - Source: https://professionalheadshot.io/headshot-types/doctor-headshots - Publisher: ProfessionalHeadshot.io (https://professionalheadshot.io) - Pricing and packages: https://professionalheadshot.io/pricing.md ## What are doctor headshots? Doctor headshots are professional portraits used across hospital staff directories, Healthgrades and Zocdoc profiles, practice websites, and medical journal bios. Patients often look up their doctor before their first appointment. A professional photo sets a different tone than no photo — or a bad one. Patients are 3x more likely to book an appointment with a physician who has a professional profile photo versus one without. ## Common uses - Hospital staff directory - Healthgrades & Zocdoc profile - Practice website - Medical journal author bio - Conference programs - Patient portal profile ## What Hospital Staff Directories Require Most hospital directories crop to a square and display it as a circle, so anything below the collarbone gets cut off — frame tight, centered, with your eyes on the upper third. Directories also tend to specify a minimum resolution for print use in patient materials, which is where phone snapshots usually fail. Generating at a higher resolution than the directory asks for leaves room for the crop without softening the image. ## What Should a Doctor Wear for a Headshot? For patient-facing directory photos, the white coat is still the default — patients scanning a group practice page read it as "this is the clinician" faster than any caption. Wear a collared shirt or blouse in a solid color underneath; busy patterns compete with the coat. Physicians in leadership, administrative, or research roles often skip the coat for standard business attire — a navy or charcoal blazer reads as both senior and credible. Scrubs photograph fine for procedural specialties, but most directories lean formal. One styling note: an all-white coat against an all-white background flattens the photo, so pick a light gray backdrop or a darker shirt underneath for separation. And skip the draped stethoscope — it reads as a stock photo. ## Should Your Headshot Match the Rest of Your Department? Hospital and group practice directories put every physician on the same page, so mismatched backgrounds and lighting stand out more than the photos themselves. If your department already uses a consistent look — usually a white or light gray studio background — match it rather than optimizing your photo in isolation. Being able to regenerate the same face against a different background is what makes matching an existing directory practical. ## Physician Headshots for Academic and Speaking Profiles Journal author bios, conference programs, and CME materials each want a different crop and often a different tone than a patient-facing directory photo — more formal, frequently without the white coat. Physicians who publish or speak end up needing several versions of the same headshot rather than one file reused everywhere, which is worth planning for before you shoot rather than after. ## How Much Do Doctor Headshots Cost? Studio and on-location photographers typically charge $89 to $1,500 for physician headshots, with most sessions landing in the mid-hundreds. Watch the line items: retouching often bills separately at $50–150 per photo, and practice-wide shoots add a per-person rate plus the scheduling cost of pulling clinicians off the floor for a photo day. That math is why many practices now generate headshots from selfies instead — each physician uploads photos on their own time, the whole directory stays consistent, and the cost is a fraction of a single studio session. The comparison below shows the full breakdown. ## FAQ ### Do I need to wear a white coat for my doctor headshot? A white coat is the most recognized symbol of medical authority, but it's not required. Business professional attire works well for physicians in leadership or administrative roles. ### What's the best background for medical headshots? Clean studio backgrounds — solid white or light gray — are the standard. They look professional on all healthcare platforms and work well in circular thumbnails. ### Can I use AI headshots on Healthgrades or Zocdoc? Yes. Both platforms accept standard professional photos. AI headshots are indistinguishable from studio photos and meet all platform requirements. ### How often should doctors update their headshots? Every 2–3 years, or if you change roles, specialties, or your appearance changes significantly. ## Related headshot types - [Corporate Headshots](https://professionalheadshot.io/headshot-types/corporate-headshots) - [LinkedIn Headshots](https://professionalheadshot.io/headshot-types/linkedin-headshots) - [Business Headshots](https://professionalheadshot.io/headshot-types/business-headshots) --- Generate doctor headshots from your own selfies: upload 5-20 photos, pick looks, get 40-100 headshots in 15-30 minutes. One-time payment from $29, details at https://professionalheadshot.io/pricing.md.