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Deciding between Private Practice and Hospital Employment

by Jennifer Walker •

Dr. Mansfield is clear that he does not think the age of solo private practice is over. “If you really have an entrepreneurial spirit, and you feel like not only do you want to practice medicine but you want to control your work environment and really have your thumbprint on the community and change lives at the same time, then private practice is the only way to go,” he said.

Jennifer Walker is a freelance medical writer based in Wisconsin.

Tips for Success in a Hospital Environment and in a Solo Practice

Whether otolaryngologists choose to work in a hospital or open a practice, here are a few tips on how to thrive in either work environment.

Private Practice

  1. Consider starting out with another otolaryngologist. Vandana Kumra, MD, a general otolaryngologist, joined another physician’s practice, where she learned about running a business and built up her patient base for a little over a decade. Then she opened her own practice.
  2. Look into medium-sized cities. Eric Mansfield, MD, chose to open his practice in Fayetteville, N.C. There, he received some patient overflow from another otolaryngology practice that was too busy to handle the demand. Within 90 days of opening, he was seeing 100 patients a week.
  3. Set aside time for administrative tasks. “If you don’t take care of the administration part, the practice falls apart,” said Dr. Mansfield. He sets aside time every Thursday afternoon to go over numbers and focus on staffing, credentialing, and CMEs.

Hospital and Academic Medicine

  1. Build good relationships with your colleagues. Alisha West, MD, a pediatric head and neck surgeon with UCLA Health, said that building good relationships can catapult one’s career forward. For example, Dr. West collaborates with basic science researchers, who have helped to handle the bench work for her research when she is busy clinically.
  2. Cherish the opportunity to teach residents and medical students. Dr. West says it is a privilege to teach residents about her profession. She learns from them, and, because she wants to teach them the most up-to-date information, it pushes her to keep abreast of the latest advances in her field.
  3. Set boundaries with your time. Dr. West, who has a 16-month-old son named Weston, works long hours. She recommends that otolaryngologists set boundaries in terms of clinical hours and call. “Saying no is really important, because people will pull you in all kinds of different directions.”