David Chang, MD, of Marina Spine Center in Los Angeles, discusses why he chose to go into private practice and how this can be the right choice for spine surgeons fresh from their fellowships. 1. Aligns with the goals of surgeons just beginning to practice. Dr. Chang has been in practice at Marina Spine Center since 2007. He was drawn to the meticulous nature of spine surgery and interested in sports. "I came to the west coast for the lifestyle. There is a lot of activity and the people are very exercise oriented. I saw the opportunity for a large patient base," said Dr. Chang. Robert Watkins, MD, of Marina Spine Center was looking to expand his practice and Dr. Chang gladly accepted the fellowship offer. He had the opportunity to pursue his interest in athletic injuries and join an atmosphere that allowed him to still spend time with his family.
2. Offers autonomy on multiple levels. Dr. Chang explained that private practice appeals to him because it does not impose a rigid structure and offers freedom to make decisions. "Being in private practices allows me to make my own choices, such as when I want to see patients, down to the smaller things, like what type of phone I would prefer to have in my office," said Dr. Chang. He is able to tailor his schedule with his office manager to create a balance between his professional and family life.
By contrast, academic practice often comes with publication and lecture requirements. Even if surgeons enjoy lecturing, they may not appreciate the pressure of publication and lecture requirements that often comes hand-in-hand with academic practice. Private practice surgeons can still be part of a well-respected group that provides quality spine care and clinical research involvement without an academic institution affiliation.
3. Provides interaction and collaboration with your peers. Dr. Chang practices with Dr. Watkins and Robert Watkins, Jr., MD. The ability to interact with both senior surgeons and surgeons close to his own experience level is a great benefit of practice. "I have two different perspectives from practicing physicians. Our collaboration creates an academic atmosphere," Dr. Chang said.
4. Gives the ability to create the patient base you want. One of the biggest benefits of being a surgeon is the time spent with patients. In his position as a private practice surgeon, Dr. Chang has the liberty to shape his patient base. "I have positioned myself in a situation where I can see the patients I want to see," he said. Dr. Watkins, Dr. Watkins Jr. and Dr. Chang have a diverse patient base including athletes, middle aged patients, older patients and professional athletes.
5. Builds a patient base you can keep. When you have the ability to cultivate a patient base specific to your interests, you want to keep this patient base. However, some hospitals and physician groups will require signing a non-compete clause, which would mean if you left that practice setting, your patients would stay there instead of follow you.
When surgeons are considering joining a private practice Dr. Chang cautions, "If the group you are going to join is a private practice setting that wouldn't allow you to keep control of your patients, then I would have to seriously weigh the benefits of that possible job opportunity and consider not joining that practice."
Find a practice that has the patient volume to support a new surgeon and offers the ability to retain control over individually created patient bases.
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