Where to Practice
Before you narrow the number of location possibilities in your search, you need to ask yourself some tough questions and answer them honestly to determine just what kind of practice you really want to establish. Your success depends largely upon your ability to set up the kind of practice that complements your personality, work habits and goals.
Posted in Planning on Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Questions to Answer
Determine the answers to these questions before you seriously consider a location.
- What type of practice would I prefer? (Solo? Group? Multidisciplinary?)
- Where do I want to live? (Even if I think I could make a high income in New York City, is it where I want to live or raise a family?)
- What types of patients do I want to see? (Adults? Children? Both? Athletes? How about a family-oriented practice?)
- What is my personal work style? (Am I alert and at my best in the early mornings, or do I prefer to start my day later and work in to the evening?)
- How much time would I prefer to spend with each patient? (If I want to spend thirty minutes with each patient, I need to practice where patients can afford to pay the fees I'd need to charge to maintain that type of practice.)
- What factors might differentiate me from my peers, and would they work for or against me in a given area? (If I'm a woman, would it be an advantage or disadvantage to set up practice in a neighborhood with three other female practitioners? Would it be a plus for me to establish myself in a town with no other female practitioner?)
Once you've answered these questions, make a list of the areas where you'd like to practice. When you've identified a handful of locations, it's time to begin your demographic study.