When to leave a chiropractic associate position

How to decide to leave a chiropractic associate position for a solo practice, multidisciplinary opportunity or other options

Some chiropractors stay as associates (employees) for many years. They enjoy the work, they like the pay, and they feel free from having to make the tough decisions involved with being a business owner.

But many find that after a while they are ready to move away from that chiropractor associate position and on to a solo practice or other option. You may be ready to leave in a few months, or after several years. How do you know when it’s time to leave?

Leaving a chiropractic associate position

You know you are ready to leave when:

You wake up in the morning dreading going to the practice
You find yourself disagreeing with your employer about how to care for patients, how to market, how to run the practice
You feel you have learned all you need to learn from this doctor
You are sure the doctor is doing something illegal, but you can’t put your finger on what is going on
You are sure you don’t want to practice like this doctor
You start looking at ads in the paper for offices to lease
You think about how far you would have to go to get out the area designated in your non-compete agreement.

Group or solo?

Most medical doctors and other health care providers tend to work in groups. Chiropractors aren’t necessarily anti-social; they may have found that working alone is best for them.

Chiropractors might want to branch out on their own for sole control, having complete control over what goes on as opposed to a chiropractor associate position. You can set up your own patient protocols and processes, and you can be sure that patient care is handled the way you want it to be. You’ll also reap the sole profits and have control of how they are dispersed and put back into the practice. In this instance you can incorporate and hold a majority of the shares in the corporation and name yourself CEO and president.

Expand your horizons

It can also mean less competition if you branch out on your own and find a city or town serviced by few or no chiropractors as opposed to staying in a chiropractic associate position.

If one or more of these situations sounds like you, it’s probably time to move on. Sure, it is scary to start your own practice, but it’s better than being in a chiropractic associate position situation where you are uncomfortable, bored, worried, at odds with the other doctor.