physician recruitment Articles - Medical Practice Trends

Private Practices Not Necessarily Extinct

Although there is much talk about an increasing number of physicians working for larger entities such as hospitals, don’t count out private practices quite yet. In an article on the American Medical Association’s amednews, several reasons were cited for why physicians shouldn’t sell their practices:

More autonomy
To avoid politics (although this can still occur in group practices)
You’re loyal to your staff
Guaranteed income (once you sell, you have no control over your own patients)
Your practice fills a specialized need or area
You can set your own hours
It makes you happy

However, some recent statistics do not bode well for the independent doctor. According to the article, in a recent 12-month period, “65% of established physicians and 49% of physicians hired out of residency or fellowship…were placed in hospital-owned practices.”

Where Do Residents Practice After Training?

Medical practices that are considering recruiting new physicians may want to consider the following fact: most residents will ultimately practice in the state in which they trained. The Florida Statutory Teaching Hospital Council, which represents Florida’s six teaching hospitals, says that about 70% of residents end up practicing in the community in which they do their residency. They attribute this primarily to residents developing relationships with hospitals and with other physicians in the community during their training.