Tips for Opening Your First Medical Practice

Health & Medical Blog

After years of schooling and completing a residency program and a fellowship in a hospital setting, many doctors want to transition to having their own medical practice. When a physician has a private medical practice, it does not mean that he or she does not have hospital privileges, but with a private medical practice, a majority of patient appointments are done in the doctor's offices. Opening a medical practice takes a lot of effort and hard work, but most physicians find that opening a medical practice is very rewarding. If you're a physician who wants to open a medical practice, use the following tips.

Obtain Financing

Opening a medical practice is not cheap-- you will need ample funds for start up costs. Your first step is to create a pro forma, which is essentially a consolidated business plan that will outline start up expenses and projected revenue for the first few years that your medical practice is open. Since many physicians have a lot of debt from student loans taken out to complete medical school, it is extremely important to have a very strong pro forma in order to make you look like a better candidate for a loan in the eyes of lenders. Your best bet is to submit your pro forma and loan application to a bank that has a medical/dental division-- this type of division will have a better understanding of the industry and the costs associated with it.

Find Office Space and Equip it with Necessary Equipment

After you obtain financing to open your medical practice, you will need to find office space. It can be helpful to work with an experienced commercial real estate agent who has worked with health care providers in the past. You will also have to purchase all of the necessary medical equipment and office equipment necessary to provide treatment to patients, electronically track medical records, and keep track of billing.

Staffing

Very few physicians open a medical practice as the sole employee. A number of professionals are needed in order to run a successful medical practice. Once your office space is equipped, you will need to hire at least an office manager to handle paperwork, communication with insurance companies, and billing. Most medical practices also start out with at least one nurse and/or medical assistant. You will also need front office staff to answer phone calls and communicate with patients when they arrive for appointments. 

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25 September 2019

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