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The United States is a big country, wide open with opportunity. When you graduate from chiropractic college, the question you have to answer is, “Where will you practice?” To make your decision, balance personal considerations with practice considerations. PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONs Some people want to go back to their hometown to practice; others want to get as far away from their roots as they can. Perhaps your desires fall somewhere in between these extremes. To help you narrow your choices, consider: • Lifestyle. Do you like the city? The suburbs? Perhaps you want to be close to the great outdoors or are keen to live close to the water. Be careful, though, of the vacation-location syndrome. People often fall in love with places they visit (such as Hawaii), but few successfully combine their vocation with their vacation. • Family needs. What does your spouse want? Your success is important, but if your spouse has a career, his or her success is equally important. Compromise. Do you have children? What kinds of schools, extracurricular activities, and social outlets do you want for them? What about special healthcare needs? Some areas of the country can accommodate special needs easily; others, not so well. PRACTICE CONSIDERATIONS Balance your personal considerations with practice considerations. • The state’s laws governing your practice. How do you want to practice? Explore the scope of practice laws in the states that interest you. Not all states recognize all techniques or practice approaches. • Population density. A town of 435 people in a county of 11,000 people means there are fewer potential patients. • Chiropractors in the area. San Diego is a large city, and the number of practicing DCs is also high. A rule of thumb: Places with a population to DC ratio of less than 2,000-to-1 are tight markets. • Insurance reimbursement. If you are going to work with insurance companies, can you get into the managed-care plans? In some areas, the major plans are closed to new doctors and up to 80 percent of the population has that plan. Also, at what rate do the insurance companies actually reimburse for like or similar services? You may be surprised to know that rates can vary by as much as 100 percent within 400 miles. To find out the situation, talk with local chiropractors about insurance rates. • Office space. In the Northeast, home-office combinations are common, but in other areas having an office in your house is unusual. In many areas, chiropractic offices are located in retail strip centers. And in other areas of the country, clinics are most often found in office buildings. Why are these differences important? Two reasons: Patient perception and rent. Don’t underestimate patient perception. Patients need to be comfortable about going into your clinic. So choose a location that “fits.” But, that fit could be expensive. If clinics are typically located in office buildings, rents may be high. Visit the area you are considering for your practice and talk to several chiropractors. YOUR DREAM JOB? Should you take a “dream job” — one that has the opportunity to learn, as well as the compensation and benefits you desire — in an area where you don’t want to live? That’s a personal decision, and before you make it, make sure it really is a dream job. Talk to others who have had the job. Weigh the “total package” of information against your goals of eventually living somewhere else. For example: If you had the chance to work with a great chiropractor or to get special training in your chosen technique, the tradeoff might be worthwhile. In the final analysis, no one can tell you where the best place to practice is. What will help you make a good decision is:
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Where should you practice?
Noel Lloyd, DC, a 1971 graduate of Palmer Chiropractic College is founder of Five Star Management, Advertising | Classifieds | Cardpack | Datebook | Past Issues | Chiro History
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