What to ask before you join a medical practice

Practice Pointers. By Karen S. Schechter, AMNews contributor. Nov. 19, 2007.

PRACTICE POINTERS

Answers to questions about the business side of your practice

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Question: I will complete my residency next June and am seeking a position in a private practice. What should I look for in this process?

Answer: When evaluating whether to join a practice, there are at least four aspects of the practice that need to be considered during the initial telephone interviews and/or site visit. These are: the practice's mission statement, the practice's operations, its financial situation and the practice owner's plans for future growth.

Mission statement. Asking about the practice's mission statement might sound corny. But a well-thought-out and written mission statement reflects the values of the practice owners. The alignment of values is a critical element to the success of a business relationship, whether you are an employee or a co-owner.

It's not that one practice's mission is better or worse than another's. Rather, the consideration is whether the values on which the practice you are looking at is based coincide with your own personal and professional beliefs.

Individual and group meetings with the practice owners, employed physicians and key management personnel also will help you make this determination.

If the practice passes this test, then you are ready to move forward with the process.

Operations. There are several aspects of the practice's operations to consider, such as customer (patient and employee) relations, process efficiencies and use of technology, to name a few. Some of this information may be gathered through observation, while others might require interviewing staff and other methods of inquiry.