Advice on first job offer

[MedicalDoctorFrankenstein]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently a D4 and recently got my first job offer. I am sure if it is a good one or not. I also am not sure if I should counter offer. The general offer was a 3 year contract for:

• 27% adjusted production
• 30 hrs per week
• No lab fees

He recognized the adjusted production percentage was on the lower end but said that I would also make 27% on radiographs from hygiene and exams to compensate. I feel like this offer is a little unique from what I have heard other new graduates usually start off with. Just looking for some input if something like this where I could make a percentage off of hygiene exams and radiographs with a lower adjusted production percentage might actually be better, worse, etc. than a higher percentage but without the exam component and having a percentage of lab fees.

Thanks!

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[FutureDent020]

What does 30 hours per week mean?

 

[Cold Front]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently a D4 and recently got my first job offer. I am sure if it is a good one or not. I also am not sure if I should counter offer. The general offer was a 3 year contract for:

• 27% adjusted production
• 30 hrs per week
• No lab fees

He recognized the adjusted production percentage was on the lower end but said that I would also make 27% on radiographs from hygiene and exams to compensate. I feel like this offer is a little unique from what I have heard other new graduates usually start off with. Just looking for some input if something like this where I could make a percentage off of hygiene exams and radiographs with a lower adjusted production percentage might actually be better, worse, etc. than a higher percentage but without the exam component and having a percentage of lab fees.

Thanks!

The first year out of school income decision should include what you hope to learn clinically from that first gig.

Second, you will be very slow in your first yr out. So your production will be low, so your 27% will equate to even lower number. Best to avoid that route and negotiate daily minimum that will be reasonable for the market and the practice you will work at. Make sure it’s good enough to support your personal finances. Otherwise, you will be on your phone calculator doing the math of your next paycheck every 2 weeks regularly. You don’t need that stress and pressure, trust me. This is year 1 of hopefully 35-40 years of a long and happy career. Get it right early.

I would personally take a pay cut as a new grad if I would get a great clinical mentor at my first job. That’s exactly what I did when I graduated from d school.

 

[GoDental101]

Doesn’t seem like too great of an offer. What type of an area is it in?

 

[MedicalDoctorFrankenstein]

What does 30 hours per week mean?

The offer is to work 30 hours a week but eventually would increase to 40.

 

[MedicalDoctorFrankenstein]

Doesn’t seem like too great of an offer. What type of an area is it in?

It is on the outside of a larger city. Population is about 250k.

 

[FutureDent020]

The offer is to work 30 hours a week but eventually would increase to 40.

An hours cap seems odd. Unless you’re being paid hourly. You can’t produce if they are making you go home. If you are being paid off production they should just let you hang around as much as you want to try and produce as much. Unless it’s a staffing issue.

I’m not a GP, but an hour cap would kill me. Somedays I’ll have like 2 hours straight where all I do are 3 consults just because people don’t need treatment or elect to extract. Those days I like to try and add a late emergency to increase production. If I was on an hours cap, I couldn’t do that. And that would hurt both me and the company.

 

[GoDental101]

It is on the outside of a larger city. Population is about 250k.

Go somewhere less populated you’ll get a better offer. Good luck!

 

[pubhealthdent]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently a D4 and recently got my first job offer. I am sure if it is a good one or not. I also am not sure if I should counter offer. The general offer was a 3 year contract for:

• 27% adjusted production
• 30 hrs per week
• No lab fees

He recognized the adjusted production percentage was on the lower end but said that I would also make 27% on radiographs from hygiene and exams to compensate. I feel like this offer is a little unique from what I have heard other new graduates usually start off with. Just looking for some input if something like this where I could make a percentage off of hygiene exams and radiographs with a lower adjusted production percentage might actually be better, worse, etc. than a higher percentage but without the exam component and having a percentage of lab fees.

Thanks!

Not a great offer. 27% is low and 3 years is a long time. Keep looking, you can find a better deal out there

 

[DrJeff]

The hours cap would be a red flag for me. Tells me that the Doc looking to hire has some extra volume, but not a ton, or may just pawn off some lower production patients on you and keep the higher production patients for themselves. Now if it was said that you'd start at 30hrs/week and then are able to add more hours as soon as your patient volume necessitates, that's a different story

If an employer wants to attract an associate and really wants to be fair, the % collection can be a bit variable (27% does seem low though) a simple way to do things would be a guarenteed (reasonable) minumum per diem per day with them pay based on an agreed upon percent of collections if it is above and beyond that daily(or maybe weekly is easier to calculate) per diem amount. That way the associate has a minumum income, and the associate and the owner are both incentivised to get the assocaites schedule full - win/win. Always felt that when "restrictions" are in place that they will ultimately end up favoring the owner above and beyond over the associate.

 

[Thehighwind87]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently a D4 and recently got my first job offer. I am sure if it is a good one or not. I also am not sure if I should counter offer. The general offer was a 3 year contract for:

• 27% adjusted production
• 30 hrs per week
• No lab fees

He recognized the adjusted production percentage was on the lower end but said that I would also make 27% on radiographs from hygiene and exams to compensate. I feel like this offer is a little unique from what I have heard other new graduates usually start off with. Just looking for some input if something like this where I could make a percentage off of hygiene exams and radiographs with a lower adjusted production percentage might actually be better, worse, etc. than a higher percentage but without the exam component and having a percentage of lab fees.

Thanks!

27% seems pretty low...and when you factor in the good and bad days...I would be surprised if you break 500$ a day.

Come to Washington State and you can do dental hygiene and make 560-600$ a day. 1 hour cleanings. 8 patients a day. Simple. Can prob negotiate for higher- something like guarantee 700$ a day- do a few cleanings and one or two fillings and be in good shape.

Or you can sit around on production and do 10 class 2s with a crown to barely break even.