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2009 Student Event: Starting as an Associate

Dr. Ed Gottesman answers questions about his experiences being an associate in a fee-for-service group practice.

Photo of Dr. Gottesman Dr. Gottesman is in practice in New York. He completed his periodontal residency at SUNY at Stony Brook in 2004.

What was your plan after graduation?

My plan after graduation was to find an associateship in a fee for service group practice with an excellent reputation for quality care close to home.

What appealed to you about starting as an associate?

As a referral sourced industry, it’s important to gain the confidence of referring doctors. An associateship was appealing to me because it offered instant credibility. This was a great way to build confidence in potential new referrers who were looking for quality people to work with.

Additionally, joining an existing practice as an associate allowed me to devote more time to growing a practice rather than dealing with managerial issues. Since the office was running on “auto-pilot,” I was able to spend a lot more time meeting with referring dentists and finding new referrers.

What resources did you find the most helpful?

The resource I found most helpful was other quality dental specialists in the area. Through them I met dentists that shared my vision of quality dental care. I always believed that birds of a feather flock together. I felt that specialists with a common interest to provide quality dental care would find each other.

What were you looking for in a practice?

I was looking for a private periodontal practice that was 100 percent fee for service, partners that I felt comfortable with and a good patient base.

Was the location of the practice important to you?

Yes, the location was important to me because I planned to get married, start a family and I wanted to be as close to home as possible. I also wanted to practice in a bustling area like NYC where patients were abundant.

How did you obtain new patients?

I obtained new patients by meeting dentists at CE meetings, study clubs and dental organizations in my area.

What risks were involved in becoming an associate and how did you manage them?

The biggest risk in embarking in a practice associateship is that you may be excluded from practicing within a confined geographic radius of the office if the associateship dissolves, assuming you sign a restrictive covenant. I signed such a restriction because I felt the degree of exclusion was fair and more importantly because I felt very optimistic about an imminent partnership opportunity. Compared to an associateship, however, pursuing a private practice from scratch has more inherent risk especially the large initial financial commitment.

What is the best advice you can give to someone who is transitioning to an associate?

The best advice I can offer someone who is transitioning to an associate is to make sure to have your own attorney review your employment contract to ensure that it is fair and reasonable. An attorney may bring issues to your attention that you are not aware of.

Did you and your associate(s) work with an attorney or transition consultant to develop an employment contract? If so, what advice do you have for a new associate?

As I alluded to in the last answer, I did in fact have an attorney review my employment contract before signing it. He secured my decision to sign it by explaining in detail the compensation, duties, fringe benefits, employer’s authority, non-solicitation, restrictive covenant, insurance etc. There are many aspects of an employment contract that may not be easy to comprehend, especially the first time you see it.

Please explain your financial compensation agreement, using real or fictitious figures.

My financial compensation is based on a formula that gives credit for days worked in addition to gross production. So even if I am not as productive as my associates, I am “somewhat” compensated for being in the office. The incentive is to be there and often that leads to new business in some way. For example, I may pick up an emergency patient or arrange meetings with new referrers which may lead to new business.

What was your biggest mistake as a new practitioner?

My biggest mistake as a new practitioner was starting a family and taking my perio boards and starting the associateship all at the same time. It was a very stressful period in my life and I probably could have planned it better in hindsight.

What is your situation now?

Now I am buying into my group practice in Manhattan and beginning an associateship with a second private periodontal office on Long Island. Additionally, I am teaching one day a week at Stony Brook.

What is the most important thing you have learned?

The most important thing I have learned is to always treat patients with compassion. That refers to my family, friends and office staff/employees alike. As a health care provider it’s easy to diagnose and recommend treatment forgetting that it’s a person we are dealing with. If you remember to deal with patients with an warm open hand, you will develop a reputation for being a good surgeon and a gentleman, which is often just as important.

What do you like most about being a periodontist?

What I like most about being a periodontist is the interesting people I have been able to meet. I have come cross so many different patients from different walks of life. It just makes the day that much more enjoyable.