Sermo

Yes. Sermo is free to join and use for verified physicians. Doctors create a profile, get verified through medical license checks, and access the physician-only social network, clinical discussions, and AI-powered tools at no cost. Sermo monetizes by selling anonymized insights and paid surveys to pharmaceutical companies, medical device makers, and market researchers, with physicians earning honoraria for their participation.

Sermo's AI features include a medical case-sharing assistant that helps physicians crowdsource second opinions on difficult cases, clinical decision support powered by physician consensus data, survey matching that routes relevant paid research opportunities to specialists, and content moderation across a 1.5M+ member network. In 2024, Sermo launched generative AI tools trained on its anonymized physician dialogue database for pharma insights.

Sermo uses a multi-step verification process including medical license validation against state and national databases, DEA number checks in the US, and peer verification. This creates a trusted physician-only environment where doctors can discuss cases candidly. Sermo claims over 1.5 million verified physicians across 150+ countries, making it the largest physician-only network globally.

Yes. Sermo pays physicians honoraria to complete paid medical surveys commissioned by pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, and market research firms. Compensation varies by specialty and survey length, ranging from $10 for short polls to several hundred dollars for in-depth interviews. High-demand specialties like oncology, rheumatology, and cardiology tend to see more survey opportunities and higher payouts.

Sermo does not publish enterprise pricing. Pharma and research access is sold via custom contracts that depend on the scope of the insight program — single surveys start in the low thousands, while multi-market longitudinal studies and full HCP panel access can cost six figures annually. Contact Sermo sales for a quote tailored to your therapeutic area and target physician population.

Sermo follows HIPAA best practices and requires physicians to de-identify any patient information shared in case discussions. The platform itself is not a covered entity under HIPAA because it does not handle protected health information in the traditional sense — all physician-to-physician discussion is intended to be anonymized. Sermo also complies with GDPR for European members and provides tools to help physicians share cases safely.

Doximity is larger in the US with over 2 million members and emphasizes peer networking, job boards, and CME. Sermo is global (150+ countries), more focused on anonymized case discussions and paid survey research, and less focused on career tools. US physicians who want LinkedIn-style networking prefer Doximity; researchers and doctors who want anonymous case crowdsourcing or paid research gigs prefer Sermo.