Bridging the Way: 2003 Student Event
STARTING AS AN ASSOCIATE
Todd Scheyer, D.D.S., M.S., is a private practitioner in Houston, Texas, and clinical assistant professor at The University of Texas Dental Branch-Houston. He's been a member of the American Academy of Periodontology since 1999, and is a member of the Committee on the New Practitioner. He received his periodontal certificate and master's degree from University of Texas-San Antonio in 2001.
What was your ideal plan after graduation?
To have an established associate agreement in place with potential for partnership. To have already assimilated with staff and office daily procedures.
What appealed to you about starting as an associate?
An immediate unfinanced income and the opportunity to learn from an established successful practitioner appealed to me. In addition, there was limited start up cost, and risk.
How did you go about searching for an associate position?
Sought guidance from program director/chairman, started going on practice visits at the end of my first year of residency, and sent initial and follow- up letter correspondence to doctors visited.
Was location an issue for you?
At first I had a broad demographic area and willingness to relocate to many areas. By the 3rd year of residency, location became more selected based on family/personal reasons.
Did you have a niche to assist in marketing yourself (i.e., cosmetic surgery, dental implants, etc.)?
Attended a comprehensive training program with a broad range of experience including clinical research. I also had practice management ideas to share with an established practitioner that would assist growth for both parties. Finally, I had the desire to become involved with opportunities presented.
What were you looking for in a practice?
I was looking for a safe environment with established leadership, mentorship, partnership and friendship opportunities; and, clinical excellence, research opportunities, financial stability, urban setting, potential for implant dentistry growth.
What realities did you encounter?
That no matter what type of private practice setting one enters, there are certain realities that others cannot express to you and must be learned by experience with the specific environment you are in. Practice management, public relations, and relationship building are extremely time consuming and necessary. A large established practice has a complex personality with many individual personality dynamics. This type of practice has long established protocols based on the way the loyal/long-term staff developed them. A young energized associate has many ideas that must be introduce slowly. An associate with aspirations for partnership and leadership roles cannot control certain parameters and must, therefore, be patient. Significant time is needed to create growth for the associate even in a busy established practice.
What did you do and why?
I believe this question is answered in the previous question. But basically, I was patient, was a team player with the established office, tried to implement my ideas that improved office efficiency, and was active in public relations and productivity.
How did you obtain new patients?
Good correspondence with referrals and patients, meetings (breakfast, lunch or dinner-based on desire of GP), lunch and learn sessions, study clubs (multidisciplinary and implant), lectures to other study clubs-dental societies-hygiene societies, got involved!
What is your situation now?
Practice growth has caught up to meet projections established by consulting/accounting team to allow for 50% partnership in January of 2004.
What factors affected your plan and decisions about your career and future?
Personal aspirations, opportunities available for my time-line (graduation time), and family acceptance to my goals.
What risks were involved?
Moving to an unfamiliar urban area, the associate/partner relationship not working, inability to create growth and/or establish relationships, inability to maintain happiness for self and spouse!, financial.
How did you assess and manage those risks?
I managed the risks through patience, diligence, communication, accounting, positive attitude, guidance, regularly scheduled reviews of situation.
What resources (i.e., people, publications, groups) did you find the most helpful?
Practitioner advice, AAP community of new and old practitioners, allowing adequate time to be spent in private practice.
Given what you know now, what might you do differently?
Spend even more time in the desired practice/city pre-employment. Consider not having draw involved with employment contract.
What suggestions do you have for individuals transitioning as an associate into practice?
If it is to lead to a partnership, consider the opportunity with great time, adequacy and learned understanding of the specific situation. Have an evaluation, contracts and agreements for the practice available and reviewed. Create a strategic plan for success with the partner including timely reviews, of set projections. Analyze individual and practice numbers. Have a personal consultant/accountant for yourself from the onset. This will be a worthwhile investment
Did you and your partner work with an attorney to develop a solid employment contract?
Mostly with a practice consultant and accountant but an attorney was utilized for the final contract review.
What did you learn from this process?
A draw is stressful due to the fact that it is still a type of loan from the practice. Life after academics is more about relationships with unfamiliar individuals. Time becomes incredibly valuable. You will/may work harder than ever before. You will not be entirely prepared for the private practice setting. I also learned to become more patient with certain aspirations and personal time-lines. I learned to become more organized and to manage a multi-factioned private practice setting. Learned how to implement clinical research into private practice setting, and how to become a better communicator with patients, staff, GP's, and other new acquaintances.
Please explain your financial compensation arrangement, using real or fictitious figures.
Base salary of x amount of $ with benefits which include: Health Ins, Malpractice, CE, marketing budget, licensure, board certification, organization fees (ADA, AAP, SWSP, AO, local society) other misc. benefits. The Draw salary works like this: I am compensated at a base of x amount of dollars per month or 35% of collections the 1st year of employment and 40% the second year. If my collections do not meet my base (which it did not for the 1st 4-5 months, then the difference between my collections and base salary was drawn from the practice and I had a balance owed to the practice which was decreased by increased collections month to month.
On one hand, I have some beliefs that a graduating post doctoral student deserves a salary without a draw if they are working as hard as possible but cannot increase collections because patients aren't in the chair---on the other hand there is a positive side to a draw philosophically. “Nothing comes for free”! By having the draw, when the day is done and you have paid your debts there is a greater sense of self-worth/respect for the accomplishment and earned compensation.
Find Out More
- Starting as an Associate, Benjamin Duval, D.D.S.
- Partner's Perspective, Charles Chen, 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
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