By Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO 
It seems only natural for a successful optometrist to eventually add an associate or partner to the practice. But partners aren’t for every OD and associates must be chosen with extreme care.
I once heard from someone that “you need to look at yourself in the mirror and be honest with yourself and decide if you are partnership material.” That is wise advice. If you cherish the independence of owning an “independent” practice, you should think carefully before adding a partner to your practice. I enjoy being the decision-maker of my practice and sharing the management process with another doctor is not for me–which I wish I realized before adding a partnership which did not turn out well years ago. As it turned out, my ex-partner embezzled from me, but even if she hadn’t, I doubt whether it would have worked long-term. To make a partnership work you need to enjoy a collaborative approach to management and feel comfortable with the fate of your practice now tied to another doctor.
I should never have taken on a partner. I just thought that’s what you were supposed to do! Some doctors take on a partner when they would be better off with an associate–another arrangement with potential for difficulty. Before taking on an associate, you need to fully understand that doctor’s expectations and career goals. There are a lot of doctors who are very happy if you can give them a good work environment with good equipment, trained staff and a retirement plan. But if a doctor definitely wants to be an owner they don’t necessarily make a good associate.
Many owners hire someone they relate to and who is similar in personality when that often is not at all what they should be looking for in an associate. Sometimes what your practice most needs is a doctor who is different from you in skills and maybe even personality to expand your offering to patients and create a well-balanced practice.
For an associateship to work the doctor-owner must trust the doctor she hires as an associate. The owner needs to have enough faith in the associate doctor not to micro-manage. This is a common point of contention for both the doctor-owner and the associate doctor.
If you decide that taking an associate is right for your practice, I recommend having the mentality that your associate has “her own practice within my business.”
How have the associates or partners you have added to your practice worked out? What are your top tips on creating successful associate relationships and partnerships?
Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO, is president of Lakeline Vision Source in Austin, Texas. To contact her: sorrenson@att.net.
