Questions To Answer Before Accepting a Job Offer

The New Year is an excellent time to start looking for positions whether you are finishing dental school, a residency or after ending your commission as a military dentist. After you write an impressive CV, line up interviews and begin to field offers, it is important to know what questions you need to be asking. Here is a compilation of questions from job seekers that I have worked with over the years. I hope that you find it helpful.

Relationship

  • Employee or Independent Contractor?
  • Employee at will?
  • Is the doctor open to restrictive covenant in case of future ownership?
  • Is the doctor going to stay on PT for some time or can he, if needed (After purchase)?

Schedule

  • Days, hours, on call, etc.
  • How many office hours and days per week is the office open?

Type of Practice

  • How the practice is set up (family, Pedo, or dentures)? Pedo: what age?
  • Age of the practice?
  • When/what do you refer out?
  • Place or Restore Implants? Which system?
  • # of operatories
  • # of Hygienists. Hrs of operation?
  • # assistants
  • Will the associate have their own assistant?
  • How much is the practice overhead?
  • How long has each employee been there?
  • What does the practice do to market itself?
  • How many FT and PT staff?

Patients

  • What is the patient pool like?
  • Have the number of active patient records been reviewed?
  • Is the practice growing or declining in number of patients seen, new patients -attracted, and young patients?
  • Average number of cancellations per week?
  • Average number of patients seen by associate per day?
  • How far ahead is the doctor book filled?
  • How far ahead is the associate book filled?
  • How far ahead is the hygienist’s book filled?

Duties

  • Job description (separate document) or general description.
  • Is the associate expected to check hygiene of other doctor’s patients? If yes, will the associate be compensated for it?
  • Will the associate be expected to perform hygiene/prophy?
  • Does the doctor do any procedures other than regular general dentistry?
  • What were the most of the cases being done by the associate?
  • Will the associate be placing Implants for the practice?

Facilities

  • Supplies, equipment, support, etc.
  • What type of PMS (Software) is used?
  • Implant surgical set up? Who finance to get that set up if NOT already have?
  • What is the square footage of the office? Can it be expanded?
  • Average age of equipment?
  • Is the practice left-handed, right-handed, or ambidextrous?

Fees for service

  • Appropriate/assign billing?
  • Discounts/Bartering/payment plans.
  • PPO type of insurance? Insurances: accept all kinds or just selected ones?
  • How much is the discounted price of the PPO compared to the fee schedule?
  • Medicare or Medicaid acceptance?
  • How much of the practice relies upon capitation programs, PPOs, HMOs, Medicare or Medicaid?
  • What percent is FFS, cash and discounted PPO?
  • When was the last fee increase?
  • Are the fees low, high or average for the immediate area?
  • Do you offer patients credit?

Term of contract

  • How long?

Compensation

  • Salary, Hourly, Draw, Minimum, Commission, Percentage, Bonus, When, How.
  • Taxes withheld?
  • What percent of production or collection will be the compensation?
  • How will the associate be paid? (Weekly/bi-weekly/monthly).
  • How much on average was the associate making?

Collection/Production

  • Define
  • What is the % of collection for the practice?
  • What was the average associate production per day?
  • Does the associate production include hygiene exams and x-rays?
  • Can I get a fee schedule of the practice?

Benefits

  • Medical Insurance: health and dental?
  • Malpractice insurance?
  • Disabilities insurance?
  • Required CE courses? How much and for how many hours a year? Are they paid for/reimbursed,? Is there a stipend?
  • Retirement?
  • Sick days, # allow per yr.
  • Personal days/vacations, # per yr allow.
  • Holidays?
  • What benefits are given to the staff?

Expenses

  • Define, list, when paid, lab, etc.
  • What Lab do you use? Use different lab for different lab orders?
  • Is the associate responsible for my own lab fees and expenses?
  • Will the practice support the acquisition loan (in case of future ownership), pay the overhead expenses and afford a reasonable income?

Other Questions and Notes

  • What is your practice Philosophy and Goals? For the Practice and with new pt’s tx?
  • % of implant surgeries
  • Have you had associate before? How many? How long they stayed? What was the reason for the associate resignation?
  • Do you have a confirmation system for apts?
  • How do you deal with NO Show?
  • Digital X-ray?
  • Intraoral Digital Camera?
  • How do you advertise?
  • Will most dental insurance dictate pt’s Tx plan??
  • Do you deal a lot with EMERGENCY pt? Separate operatories for that?
  • Average number of emergencies per week?
  • Will I be doing hygiene/prophy when I don’t have pt?
  • Who determine how long I have when spending with new pt/initial exam and record?
  • Do I have an apt separate to do comprehensive exams and record…. Or do I do the TP when pt come in for cleaning?
  • How long does a hygienist spend on their recalls?
  • Is there a particular doctor in the area who is your main competitor?
  • Who sees the patient first (Doctor, hygienist, associate)?
  • Why was the partnership offer turned down by an associate (if applicable)?
  • Will I be able to visit the office during regular working hours?
  • Does the doctor have a report showing how much treatment is treatment planned?

Partnership/Buy in/Sale

  • Discussion/Formula/Price
  • What will be the time frame for associate position before we can talk about partnership/buy in/buy out?
  • Is there an option for future ownership? Are you considering a move out of state?

Licensure

  • State, specialty

Confidential Information

  • Define

Covenant not to compete

  • Define

Termination of agreement

  • Define

Disability

  • Define, temporary, permanent, etc.

Binding Effect

  • Define

Amendments

  • Define

Notices

  • Verbal, written, witness?

Benefit and Assignability

  • Define

Alternate Dispute Resolution

  • Included? Define

Indemnification

  • Define

Professional Conduct

  • Standards or ADA, MDA? Other
  • Emphasis on Dr. name or practice name?

News/Insights

Interview Tips for Associate Dentists Articles

Interview Tips for Associate Dentists

Aug 30, 2024

Before, During and After - Dentists this is your guide to interviewing successfully! Preparing for your interview. Be open to a variety of opportunities. Go to every i...

The Secret Lives of Dentists Articles

The Secret Lives of Dentists

Mar 7, 2016

I remember the first time that I ran into my family dentist in town rather than in his office. I was a teenager at the time, so I should not have been shocked that my dentist ...

Traditional Practice vs Group Practice Articles

Traditional Practice vs Group Practice

Mar 7, 2016

Twenty years ago, the vast majority of dentists were solo practitioners who called their own shots and ran their own businesses. Today, group practices represent a significant...

Don’t Be Afraid To Make A Change! Articles

Don’t Be Afraid To Make A Change!

Mar 7, 2016

In our consulting business, we have helped thousands of dentists buy and sell practices during the past 42 years. Until the past five years, the traditional practices or trans...

Get Your Underperforming Employee to Quit – Try “Counseling Out” Articles

Get Your Underperforming Employee to Quit – Try “Counseling Out”

Mar 7, 2016

What is Counseling Out? Counseling Out is the process of providing enough regular, candid and honest feedback that an employee quits before being fired. Most managers wait too...

Gaining a Competitive Advantage as an Employer of Choice Articles

Gaining a Competitive Advantage as an Employer of Choice

Mar 7, 2016

As the economy rebounds and more employers adapt to filling executive and management positions in the candidate-driven market, it is becoming increasingly important for compan...

What Does Your Interviewing Process Say About Your Company? Articles

What Does Your Interviewing Process Say About Your Company?

Mar 7, 2016

Grabbing the attention of top candidates can be challenging for employers trying to court their first picks in the executive, managerial and professional job market. These app...

Hiring an Associate Dentist Who Requires Visa Sponsorship Articles

Hiring an Associate Dentist Who Requires Visa Sponsorship

Mar 7, 2016

Long a part of medical doctor staffing, dentists requiring visa sponsorship have come to represent a much larger segment of the available work force. Often these associate can...

Employee Onboarding – Ideas For Making a New Employee Feel Welcome Articles

Employee Onboarding – Ideas For Making a New Employee Feel Welcome

Mar 7, 2016

The new employee orientation and mainstreaming process is known as “employee onboarding.” Keeping in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, yo...

Associate Agreements Articles

Associate Agreements

Mar 7, 2016

Associate Agreements (contracts) can suffocate us at a time we should be reveling in a new opportunity. However, many dentists don’t understand what is in their contracts, ...