The End of Private Practice?

[jeffk805dent]

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Nope. Not happening. I can run a successful private practice or three and have time for my kids and my SO without working like crazy.

that might work well in the Midwest but in Phoenix or any saturated city, I think I might have to drop my dream of raising kids. Le sigh.

 

[DermViser]

that might work well in the Midwest but in Phoenix or any saturated city, I think I might have to drop my dream of raising kids. Le sigh.

Why?

 

[jeffk805dent]

Why?

dentistry works best when you have fewer dentists in a given city/town (assuming the population is not all HMO/Medicaid). Phoenix is saturated with dentists right now, people say move to Yuma but then my girlfriend cant find a suitable job since she is an oral surgeon and those require to be in large areas. So if I open a private practice in PHX, my income potential is lower while my workload is higher.

 

[DermViser]

dentistry works best when you have fewer dentists in a given city/town (assuming the population is not all HMO/Medicaid). Phoenix is saturated with dentists right now, people say move to Yuma but then my girlfriend cant find a suitable job since she is an oral surgeon and those require to be in a large areas. So if I open a private practice in PHX, my income potential is lower while my workload is higher.

Yup, that's probably the only drawback to private practice, if you have your own. Much harder to move. I definitely don't have that much capital on hand (yet).

 

[TeddyMeddy]

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[fancymylotus]

that might work well in the Midwest but in Phoenix or any saturated city, I think I might have to drop my dream of raising kids. Le sigh.

We're in metro NYC and doing well. Then again, I don't have kids yet but when I do, my mother(whose only job at the moment is driving us all bananas) is going to help with them. So it'll be fine

 

[DermViser]

We're in metro NYC and doing well. Then again, I don't have kids yet but when I do, my mother(whose only job at the moment is driving us all bananas) is going to help with them. So it'll be fine

I used to laugh inside at my Indian friends in medical school. They were really smart, studied hard, partied when needed, but god forbid their parents find out they were dating or having sex. They would cover their tracks so much it was crazy.

 

[fancymylotus]

I used to laugh inside at my Indian friends in medical school. They were really smart, studied hard, partied when needed, but god forbid their parents find out they were dating or having sex. They would cover their tracks so much it was crazy.

Lol. My parents are pretty cool. They never cared much what I did as long as I made it into and out of professional school. If they were actually the super uptight type, they would have deported me to India over Kaus..

 

[DermViser]

Lol. My parents are pretty cool. They never cared much what I did as long as I made it into and out of professional school. If they were actually the super uptight type, they would have deported me to India over Kaus..

 

[DermViser]

Private practice is the tits. Aint nobody gonna turn me into a bureaucratic slave (at least until I can avoid it).

Realize though when you're in private practice, YOU are responsible for everything, making sure you are in the black in terms of budget, making sure your employees get paid on time, you'll be the one offering them benefits, responsible for up keep of rental space and equipment, etc. A hospital takes care of all those things, but there is some loss of autonomy associated with that agreement. Both practice models have positives and negatives.

 

[jeffk805dent]

We're in metro NYC and doing well. Then again, I don't have kids yet but when I do, my mother(whose only job at the moment is driving us all bananas) is going to help with them. So it'll be fine

interesting maybe its an established practice where the patients still come even if its under the ownership of new dentist. I was under the impression that NYC was saturated with dentists. The dental forum here on SDN keeps telling people to avoid LA and NYC because its tough. Then again the dental forum is full of super conservative right wingers (coming from a right winger myself haha)

 

[jeffk805dent]

I used to laugh inside at my Indian friends in medical school. They were really smart, studied hard, partied when needed, but god forbid their parents find out they were dating or having sex. They would cover their tracks so much it was crazy.

I'm kind of Indian (half-Bangladeshi, close I guess) and you have no idea how crazy this gets. facebook pics would just disappear in seconds

 

[DermViser]

I'm kind of Indian (half-Bangladeshi, close I guess) and you have no idea how crazy this gets. facebook pics would just disappear in seconds

LOL!!! Exactly. All of a sudden pics would either completely disappear from albums or were untagged. One of my classmates had one "clean" Facebook account for all his family, family friends, and relatives and one account for everyone else.

 

[jeffk805dent]

LOL!!! Exactly. All of a sudden pics would either completely disappear from albums or were untagged. One of my classmates had one "clean" Facebook account for all his family, family friends, and relatives and one account for everyone else.

haha my girlfriend said it best

"there are two things that sucks to be in the post 9-11 era - being brown and in healthcare"

 

[fancymylotus]

interesting maybe its an established practice where the patients still come even if its under the ownership of new dentist. I was under the impression that NYC was saturated with dentists. The dental forum here on SDN keeps telling people to avoid LA and NYC because its tough. Then again the dental forum is full of super conservative right wingers (coming from a right winger myself haha)

Yeah, were established. 35 or so years 🙂 and we aren't in NYC itself so that helps too.

 

[fancymylotus]

LOL!!! Exactly. All of a sudden pics would either completely disappear from albums or were untagged. One of my classmates had one "clean" Facebook account for all his family, family friends, and relatives and one account for everyone else.

My life has become so much more drama free(from my gossipy Indian relatives) since I got rid of FB.

 

[fancymylotus]

interesting maybe its an established practice where the patients still come even if its under the ownership of new dentist. I was under the impression that NYC was saturated with dentists. The dental forum here on SDN keeps telling people to avoid LA and NYC because its tough. Then again the dental forum is full of super conservative right wingers (coming from a right winger myself haha)

Also, I avoid the dental forum like the plague bc most of the garbage people spout is there is just that. Garbage. I occasionally lurk for lols but besides that I stay away

 

[DermViser]

Also, I avoid the dental forum like the plague bc most of the garbage people spout is there is just that. Garbage. I occasionally lurk for lols but besides that I stay away

How is that different from Allo and Pre-Allo?

 

[TeddyMeddy]

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[fancymylotus]

How is that different from Allo and Pre-Allo?

Bc most of Allo and pre allo isn't relevant to me so it's fun to post in. Whereas if I post something in dental, I'm bound to get jumped all over.

Plus Dermie I am allos ONE honorary dentist. No other teeth people allowed 😀

 

[DermViser]

You also get to hire and fire who you work with. It's harder to put a price on that.

Yup, if you work in a hospital you don't get to make firing decisions, although you can probably create some pressure, but only as an attending and it's limited if they're unionized. Reminds me of the joke: What's the difference between a nurse and a bullet? You can fire a bullet.

 

[jeffk805dent]

You also get to hire and fire who you work with. It's harder to put a price on that.

definitely a pro but when you fire someone you have to find a suitable placement, easier said than done

 

[jeffk805dent]

Yeah, were established. 35 or so years 🙂 and we aren't in NYC itself so that helps too.

I thought you mentioned NYC as your place of practice but im guessing its in the tri-state which pretty saturated still, good to hear you're doing well. I have a colleague out in Orange County, CA who acquired his practice from his father and lost some patients simply bc they werent the main dentist they were used to seeing. Sucks since the new dentist is pretty efficient from what I've heard

 

[DermViser]

I thought you mentioned NYC as your place of practice but im guessing its in the tri-state which pretty saturated still, good to hear you're doing well. I have a colleague out in Orange County, CA who acquired his practice from his father and lost some patients simply bc they werent the main dentist they were used to seeing. Sucks since the new dentist is pretty efficient from what I've heard

Yup, all my friends who were going to dental school were essentially taking over their dad's practices. Must be nice to have it all set and ready waiting for you.

 

[jeffk805dent]

Bc most of Allo and pre allo isn't relevant to me so it's fun to post in. Whereas if I post something in dental, I'm bound to get jumped all over.

Plus Dermie I am allos ONE honorary dentist. No other teeth people allowed 😀

The only thing I agree on the dental forum is that dental school is now insanely expensive and borderline not worth it. At least with medical school, you have a better chance of paying off the loans quicker. Plus many of the dental students read dentaltown which is full of near retiring dentists who keep complaining but offer no solution to fix the problem

 

[jeffk805dent]

Yup, all my friends who were going to dental school were essentially taking over their dad's practices. Must be nice to have it all set and ready waiting for you.

this was a thing that I did not take note of before applying to dental school, that a lot of dental students have a practice waiting for them or through family connections. The ones doing it the hard way (like myself) are in for tough road.

 

[jeffk805dent]

My life has become so much more drama free(from my gossipy Indian relatives) since I got rid of FB.

my relatives: "when are you getting married?"

me: "when I feel financially secure enough to buy a ring and pay for the wedding, which maybe forever in this age"

 

[fancymylotus]

I thought you mentioned NYC as your place of practice but im guessing its in the tri-state which pretty saturated still, good to hear you're doing well. I have a colleague out in Orange County, CA who acquired his practice from his father and lost some patients simply bc they werent the main dentist they were used to seeing. Sucks since the new dentist is pretty efficient from what I've heard

I live in NYC, I work just outside of the city. No way in hell would I work in the city. Nope

 

[TeddyMeddy]

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[DermViser]

Kind of sad that EMR, given the cheap cost of consumer technology, data storage and encryption security, is being cited as a cause of declining private practice. Such a trivial thing to lose autonomy for.

A flash drive costs a few bucks, encrypt it and give it to the patient. Bam, EMR.

It's not giving it to the patient that's the issue. It's other providers. Also, patients can't even keep a card with their appt on it, and you expect them to keep their medical record?

 

[TeddyMeddy]

.

 

[masaraksh]

Kind of sad that EMR, given the cheap cost of consumer technology, data storage and encryption security, is being cited as a cause of declining private practice. Such a trivial thing to lose autonomy for.

A flash drive costs a few bucks, encrypt it and give it to the patient. Bam, EMR.

Thats just the cutest thing i've heard all day

 

[DermViser]

People generally treat their social security numbers with respect. Why not an EMR card/flash drive? Giving a physical copy of EMR to patients "empowers" them to "take control" of their health information.

Although cyber security is something I know nothing about. If a major tertiary academic medical center, where celebrities frequent, was hacked like Sony was recently, it would be absolutely catastrophic.

Yeah, maybe remembering the number, not having the card. A lot of elderly patients aren't computer savvy.

 

[PL198]

I'm kind of Indian (half-Bangladeshi, close I guess) and you have no idea how crazy this gets. facebook pics would just disappear in seconds

yeah I know people in multi year LTR whose parents have absolutely no idea.

 

[fancymylotus]

yeah I know people in multi year LTR whose parents have absolutely no idea.

Cray

 

[TeddyMeddy]

.

 

[DermViser]

It's a card! It's easier to use than a jitterbug!

You're lucky patients remember the pills they take -- and not the "I think it's the red pill", etc. You usually don't need a social security card on a daily basis.

 

[fancymylotus]

my relatives: "when are you getting married?"

me: "when I feel financially secure enough to buy a ring and pay for the wedding, which maybe forever in this age"

Wrong answer. Just say "soon" and purposefully be vague and evasive 😀 😀