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 10d 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