You don't need consultant to open a PP (or value a PP).
That is a bigtime podiatry myth and just a way for lazy podiatrists to try to make extra $. Most of them who sell their "system" run (or used to) an average or even below average PP. Look at Dem Faction and other such "podiatry practice management experts": the guy is like 400 pounds.... would people trust him to advise on their own health? Do you think he had a booming PP of his own? Do you think he has good podiatry med and surg skill? Do you want to be like him? Again, most of them who lecture and purport to be gurus just sell their "system" run (or used to) an average or even below average PP. The supergroup I worked for recently hired a lady to speak who was the biller for her husband's solo practice (therefore a "billing expert"), and she was terrible.
It's fine to listen to the "expert" people at a meeting or free vid or blog or whatever, but just like CME meetings, some speakers suck and talk out of their arse. This is PODIATRY, after all. Take it all with a grain of salt. Do NOT pay big bucks for that practice mgmt info. The
biggest part of being an owner is being able to design your own system and improve and modify it. Why would you want to buy a questionable model from somebody questionable training/success? Many of them often give suspect advice, don't have the relevant degrees (CPC, MBA, CPA, etc), aren't too successful in PP themselves, and will stray far out of their lane (legal advice, surgery coding when they barely do surgery, buy in/out advice when they've never done that, etc).
If you "consult" with anyone, get a good attorney, lights-out CPA, high quality biller/coder service, MBA specialist for brief HR or policies advice, and mainly
great and friendly and happy staff beside you daily. You already know the podiatry part just fine, and you'll know it well with a bit of PP experience.
Some experience working as a PP associate (or supergroup or MSG or etc... but small/medium PP is typically best) definitely helps, but you really only need a year or two to learn what you can. Some people, like me, need a lot more years until they have the PP area/money logistics prepped. However long it takes, the goal during employed time is just to learn billing and coding, have an idea of how office flows, understand basic staffing and marketing ideas, have mental list of supplies needed, know forms needed, get your communication with pts practice, get efficient, get ABFAS cert if you can, get on area plans and hospitals and meet some area PCPs (only useful in area without enforced non-compete), etc.
...I know plenty of DPMs who did owner PP straight out of residency (started solo or bought out a DPM). They had varied success. None failed.
Although I wouldn't say that's top option to start cold (you will make a lot of mistakes and miss a lot of things), you can still just network with ppl doing the same thing, read books and articles, the AAPPM, FB groups on it, etc. Again, the ones with a year or a few years of PP work before going to owner did better, for many reasons.
But yeah, don't do consultant time and $$ waste. Nobody knows you like you. Besides, you can get most of the key info in a
$10 book.
