Finding the Right Chiropractic Associateship

Hopefully you’re reading this article well before you graduate from Chiropractic College, because there is a lot of work to be done before you start your career. If graduation is already at your doorstep, don’t worry, it’s not too late to find yourself a great business partner.
Unless you are a second or third generation Chiropractor, then you probably don’t have a lot of experience with how a chiropractic office is run. Even if you’ve worked in one clinic, there are many other practice styles out there. Each Chiropractor gets to choose how to run his/her office, provided they stay within the bounds of the law. It is this autonomy that attracted many to the profession in the first place.
So, what kind of a practice style do you envision? This is one of the first questions you should ask yourself when pondering the overwhelming task that lies before you of finding an Associateship. There are many things that make up a practice style. Here are a few that you should consider as you shop around for your Chiropractic Associateship:
1) Technique Systems – You can view this as an opportunity to learn a new technique style, but remember that most of the patients coming to that doctor will expect a similar treatment to what they’ve received before. Where you went to school may influence what techniques you learned, so find out where the owner of the clinic attended Chiropractic College.
2) Attitude – This may be hard to tell from a short interview, or a phone conversation. That’s why we recommend you go shadow any doctor that you are considering entering into an Associateship with. Watching him/her interact with patients will be very revealing. If you feel like you didn’t get to see certain provocative situations, you can try asking the doctor their opinion on certain things. Please keep in mind – just because the doctor doesn’t have the same attitude or personality as you, doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be a great match. In fact, many times you need someone to balance you, or to strengthen your weaknesses.
3) Philosophy – We use this term loosely, but you get the idea. Where does the doctor think their responsibilities lie in terms of patient care? Do they focus solely on spinal manipulation, or do they also offer nutritional, exercise, and lifestyle advice? How do they feel about working directly with medical doctors? Asking these questions ahead of time can really save you the stress of dealing with conflict in the future.
4) Location – It’s not only important for the success of your practice. You should consider if that area is of interest to you. Even various communities within the same city can have a very different feel to them. You aren’t going to love everything about a city, but you should at least be excited about living there. Your patients will be able to tell. On the other hand, you need to consider the fact that the doctor may require you to set up your shingles far away from their office. Expect at least a 2-3 mile radius to be requested by your doctor. More on this later…
5) Facilities – We don’t mean does the doctor have a bathroom with hot running water in the building. We are referring to the features of the office that you’ll end up using in your treatments. Do they have physiotherapy modalities? Do they have an x-ray suite? Do they just have adjusting benches, or do they have fancy HyLo Elevation tables? How is the general interior design? Remember, you will be spending a lot of time here, so you should enjoy your stay. These are just considerations, but you want to make sure that you are comfortable with what is available to you, or talk with the hiring doctor about certain changes.
6) Time – Here we are just referring to the amount of time that the doctor spends with each patient. Do you see eye to eye on this? You might benefit from changing the length of your visits, but just make sure you want to change it in that direction.

Even after you’ve narrowed down your goals for the style of practice you want, you still have more work to do. The next big thing is to make sure that the actual business relationship you are entering into is a safe and ethical one that will reward you for your hard work. To do this, you will need to go over the contract with a fine-tooth comb. You should probably get in touch with an attorney to make sure there aren’t any limiting factors.
Once again, we’ve come up with a short list to help you analyze this opportunity. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it should steer you in the right direction.
1) Time – Let’s pick up where we left off on the last list. This time we are talking about the amount of total time that is expected from you. Some contracts say 20 hrs/week, and others say 60. It is up to you to decide how much you are willing to give.
2) Outside work – This may be directly referred to in the area about time, but you should take more of a qualitative approach for this aspect. What kind of work is expected? Is it spinal screenings at Wal-Mart every Saturday? Is it public speaking? Do you feel like you’re going to implode every time you contemplate pubic speaking? Keep these in mind, and discuss it in detail with the hiring doctor.
3) Pay – You knew the topic of money was inevitable. Everyone values their time and money differently. Where do you stand? If you’re very motivated, and if you’re confident in your ability to attract new patients from the community, then you might consider a contract that focuses more on a % of new patients. If you just want this to be your 9-5 job to get some experience under your belt, then you might push for a stronger salary base.
4) Non-compete clause – Every doctor has his/her own opinion on this one. Just make sure that your future plans align with what is detailed in the contract. In other words, if you really want to practice in Brooklyn, then maybe you should look for an Associateship in a nearby city that is outside of the agreed distance in the non-compete clause, but that will still allow you quick access to go check out the area where you plan to setup shop afterwards. Remember, about a 2-3 mile radius is a common distance to expect. If they are requesting 25 miles, then maybe you should consider negotiating this part of the contract.
Even after all of this homework, you still would be wise to get some recommendations. Fortunately, ChiroHub.com has developed a database of Chiropractors throughout the United States. Each doctor has a listing that can be rated on a 1-5 star system, and users can leave feedback about the doctor. Most of the feedback comes from patients, but you might also find something from others who have done an Associateship with the Chiropractor. Their review would be priceless in helping you make that decision. Likewise, we highly encourage you to leave feedback about your experience as an Associate.
If you are still in search of an Associateship, then you can see what is available by browsing the listings in the Chiropractic Career Opportunities section of ChiroHub. These are conveniently organized by state, so finding one near you is easy. You’ll notice there are also Shared Space and Partnership opportunities listed as well.
By following the advice given in this article, we hope you increase your chances of having a good experience as an Associate. There is so much to learn, and your Chiropractic School didn’t have time to fit it all in, so open up your eyes, ears, heart, and hands, so that your hiring doctor can teach you many pearls of wisdom. ChiroHub wishes you the best of luck in your career.