Private practice owners

[rlw237]

Hey all, just wondering if anyone out there has their mind set on eventually opening up their own private practice somtime in your career.

Also, if anyone out there owns their own practice currently, has owned, or knows some one who has owned; can you weigh in on som of the pros and cons.

This is just my all time goal/drea. Is to eventully open my own place/places and integrate all my ideas that I have. I usually average around 55-60hr a week when I work so not really bothered by the long hours. Any info is always greatly appreciated.

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[dizzy88]

I have worked in a private practice for 3 years now. Not as a PT, but just at the desk.

Pros: autonomy. The PT I work for decided on opening the clinic so he could have a little more freedom in treating his patients. He has another job in conjunction with PT, so the clinic is only part time and very slow...so I know he didn't do it for economic purposes. We schedule 2 patients an hour and an entire hour blocked off for new evals. Patients absolutely love it. They come and SEE THE THERAPIST. The one-on-one time is really what makes him a successful and well appreciated PT.

Cons: working at the desk, I'm the one that talks with insurances and deals with prescriptions and everything. It's really hard to get doctors to refer to you. With a lot of physician-owned groups out there, they have their own PT's who get their referrals. My boss has some personal friends that are physicians and that's where he gets most of his patients. There are other doctors that he's talked to, but they aren't really sending many people over. Getting contracted with insurance companies is also a huge pain sometimes. Especially if you're in the city and there are several PT clinics around you.

That's really what pops up into my head right off the bat. I think the atmosphere is really good though...just being able to put forth your own philosophy on treatment out there

 

[jbizzle]

Yeah I know the CEO of the place I volunteered at, while I volunteerd there he only had one clinic. Now he has two more satelite clinics (a total of 3). He is doing well for himself. I actually liked volunteering there.

But to be honest, I don't think I will open my own place if I even get accepted first of all. I like acute a lot is the main reason. But maybe I can change my mind later.

Like the poster above said, dealing with the insurance is probably the deal breaker, but you would probably hire someone else to do that right.

The place I volunteered at was owned by a Filipino and he had his family working there so I guess they didn't mind. And lastly, he was able to sponsor some Filipino's from overseas with their work visas to work for him. Which means he pays them less than what graduates from the US earn, and they probably dont know that, but they love him for sponsoring them lol. Now they are banned from taking the NPTE because they tried to cheat. Im not racist im filipino too, but its wrong to cheat on the NPTE.