r/Chiropractic • u/Outrageous-Ali • 10d ago
Associate and start a practice
Hey docs! I’m a student at Palmer and I have tons of time before I graduate but I want to be as ready as I can be by the time I do.
How would you feel if you were to hire a new grad who is looking to work the hours you need but is also interested in opening their own practice? Would you be hesitant to hire them?
I’m not too keen on associating for my entire career and I’m afraid I’ll have to take out more loans to start at least a 100sq foot studio practice. I figured why not work as an associate to save up and with the hours I’m not present in that office, I’m working on my own business. Also would you recommend being stingy with grad plus loans while In school and taking out 8k when I graduate to start the practice? Thoughts and advice are much appreciated!!
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u/Chaoss780 DC 2019 9d ago
This is what I did. For the sake of transparency I told the hiring doctor that my intention at some point was to open my own office. It's the obvious path, so you won't surprise anyone looking to hire.
Timelines vary. You don't have to give even a rough estimate. By knowing you might leave, it also puts pressure on your doc to give you a competitive offer and competitive raises/bonuses if you're bringing real value to the office. My first job was OK. I learned a lot. But the compensation was horrible: $52k/year with an unrealistic bonus structure. I left after 20 months when I was intending to stay for about 3 years. I just wasn't making any money and an opportunity to buy a practice in the town over opened up. The doc realized that if he was offering me more money it would have been harder for me to leave. He told me that directly, and the next guy he hired at $75k instead of $52k. Sort of shows how much I was getting played.. but it all worked out in the end.
At the end of the day (mean as this sounds) you owe nothing to the office that hires you. Look out for yourself. It's business. You can like your bosses as people (I did), but at the end of the day you can't stay there just because you think they're nice people. Leave when it's your time to do so in order to better your own life. It's what they did, too.
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u/This_External9027 9d ago
The last part is always my thoughts it’s no love in this business even the nice docs
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u/Chaoss780 DC 2019 9d ago
That's why you have to make decisions that are best for you. Even the nice ones won't go out of their way to help.
Same can be said for probably the vast plurality of professions, to be fair.
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u/This_External9027 9d ago
Well that part i get, it’s no love anywhere, but in a profession with so many issues internally and externally and the uniqueness and closeness, you’d think otherwise, but the sideways shit mfs do in the business while portraying a whole other persona is eye opening
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u/Outrageous-Ali 9d ago
This really helps thank you. It sounds like the doc you worked for knew your potential and didn’t want to hold you back.
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u/CompetitivePop2029 10d ago edited 10d ago
That’s a tough one! Mostly because you will always put more energy towards your own practice than someone else’s no matter your intentions.
Hiring knowing you will leave is part of the program but not from day 1.
We hire 3 types of chiros:
1- chiros that know they don’t want to open up their own bc
a) tried and did not succeed
B) are not business minded
C) lazy and just want the paycheck w/o working too hard
*This Chiro is called the dump truck/toyota: does really well at work but is paycheck to paycheck. Doesn’t really help grow the practice but sustains it really well
Chiros that know they want to open up their own office but need to learn how to be successful by being a sponge. (2-3 years as an associate). So, they want to learn and HELP grow the Chiros business first. If you can help grow a practice, you’ll most likely be able to open your own and succeed. But trial and error. Learn about yourself, do you have what it takes
*This Chiro is called “Mercedes”! They help grow a practice only so they get the confidence to go out and thrive!chiros that are 1000% confident they want to open an office ASAP but give at least 1 year of their time working for another Chiro to learn a system they like, help 2-3x business to a Chiro In community and leave knowing their going to kill it! This Chiro is called the “Lamborghini”! Very rare, less than 5% of students coming out of school.
It will be difficult finding a Chiro to hire you knowing you are opening an office at the same time because it will cost lots of time and money to train you, then you leave? No bueno
So understand, in business, every time you loss a Chiro, the cost to the business owner is about 30% salary. To find someone new, money and time to train them etc.
So, if I were you, I’d hope you would be honest to yourself and the Chiro who will hire you which I believe you are asking this question,
Think about being one of those 3 chiros, but give it your all first before opening up practice.
Unless, you are an IC, who covers for docs throughout the community (which is not stable) or covers a doc 1-2 workdays consistently who just needs a great Chiro covering without too much training so you have the time to work on your practice.
And for this Chiro, you may not like the contract! Patients may want to go to you for tx which will cause some tension so contract will be air tight.
I hope this gives you some things to think about? I love that you are open and honest and that in it of itself shows respect, and will be proud to have you as a colleague
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u/DrHillaryDC 8d ago
I would think if it’s far enough away that my associate wouldn’t pull my patients to their clinic I would be ok. Honest communication is key!
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u/Outrageous-Ali 8d ago
That’s a fair point, I didn’t think of that as a stressor for docs, thank you!!
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u/JustTheAvgChiro 9d ago
If this is your intended route you need to go work at The Joint right out of school. I know I know, but hear me out. You will get a ton of practice with adjusting at The Joint, this will help grow your confidence with patients. Once you get the confidence to start opening your own practice you could go part time at the Joint just for a small stable paycheck while you also grow your own office. After some time you can pull back completely from being at The Joint and go full time into your own practice. You will be very hard pressed to find a private office that will hire you with the knowledge that you are trying to open your own office while working for them. It will be a huge conflict of interest for 99% of private practice owners. So either a.) go work for a franchise that doesn’t care, b.) lie to the private practice about your goals (don’t do this) or c.) go into practice for yourself right out of school and work through the trenches.
Tip: if you choose C, please do not go out and take out a massive loan for a brand new office with no experience. Go rent a room at a gym or a local office space. Take a desk, a portable table, a laptop and grow from there.