Moderated by:
Bernard Touati
Pursuing an Associateship
While the “American Dream” continues to be owning your own
home, the new “Dentist’s Dream” continues to be owning a
practice. This concept is supported by the fact that approximately
eighty percent of American dentists continue to operate as solo practitioners
owning their own practice. The norm thirty years ago was to graduate
from dental school, buy equipment, hang out a shingle with the practice name
and start practicing. Today, due to extensive debt upon graduation, most
new graduates enter the professional field as associates. While many
graduates immediately enter GPR’s or the Armed Services, upon completion of
these obligations, the outcome is still the same; they enter private
practice. As associates, they have the opportunity to improve their
clinical skills, increase their speed and proficiency, and learn more about the
business aspects of the profession they have entered. For most, they
hope the newfound associateship will lead to an eventual ownership
position. Instead, many find themselves building up the value of
their host doctor’s practice, only to be forced to leave and relocate. This
relocation is a result of enforcement of their non-compete agreement when the
promised buy-in/buy-out didn’t occur. It is important that dental
students understand why so many associateships fail (that is to say, do not
achieve the desired result for both parties). Sometimes understanding why
something fails and avoiding situations leading to failure is the best route to
achieving the desired goal. I suggest that students and potential
associates do as much research as possible about the practice and the dentist
they are considering joining before they begin.