Bridging the Way: 2003 Student Event
Partner's Perspective
Charles Chen, D.D.S, is a private practitioner in Bethesda, MD. He completed his periodontal residency at the University of Maryland, and has been a member of the Academy since 1980. In addition, he's obtained patents for bone graft materials and served on the board of two publicly traded companies.
What made you decide to seek an associate?
To share the workload and the responsibility.
Did you meet with a consultant, lawyer or accountant to determine the feasibility before you began the process?
No.
Where did you begin looking for an associate?
Son of my partner.
How did skill and personality play into your decision-making process?
Self-confident, self-motivated, stable and responsible, open-minded for new ideas and continued education.
What type of bonus package were you willing to offer in terms of patients, production, and overhead to take the financial pressure off of the associate?
Guaranteed income plus bonuses.
Were you willing to have the associate take over a specific area of your practice that might not have been your focus (i.e., cosmetic surgery dental implants)?
Yes.
Please explain your financial compensation arrangement, using real or fictitious figures.
We have four partners. Three are full partners, and one is going to be full partner next year. Full partners all get equal base salary, and if income collected is more than $50,000 different between the partners, then a small bonus is paid to the higher partner.
What resources (i.e., people, publications, groups) did you find most helpful in finding an associate?
Word of mouth references.
What advice do you have for students who are seeking associate arrangements?
Start early, talk to periodontists in the area that you would like to locate.
What advice do you have for periodontists practicing who are seeking an associate?
Talk to post-graduate program directors about their graduating seniors.
Find Out More
- Starting as an Associate, E. Todd Scheyer, D.D.S., M.S.
- Starting as an Associate, Benjamin Duval, D.D.S.
- Seller's Perspective, Michael Hersh, D.M.D.
- Starting Your Own Practice, Wayne Aldredge, D.M.D.
- Starting Your Own Practice, Deena Kuempel, D.D.S.
- Buying a Practice, Nicholas Caplanis, D.M.D., M.S.
- Buying a Practice, James. D. Spivey, D.D.S., M.S.
- Independent Contractor, Eddie Zupnik, D.D.S.
- Independent Contractor, Richard Finlayson, D.D.S.
- Fictional Example of Contractual Agreement Between Partner and Associate
- Fictional Example of Contractual Agreement for independent contractor
Student/Educator Links
- Student Membership
- Careers in Periodontics
- In-Service Exam
- Periodontal Programs
- Dental Externships
- Scholarships/Grants
- Student Web Links
- Educator Web Links
- Perio Educators Portal