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Making AOM Private Practice Work: The Unique Skill Set for Success in Challenging Times
June 11, 2011
Are you in private practice and feeling the financial pinch of these challenging times? The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine’s (NCCAOM) 2008 Job Training Analysis of NCCAOM Diplomats found that 88% of respondents to their survey were in solo private practice and that the average annual gross income for all respondents was between $41,000 to $60,000 per year. 70.1% grossed under $61,000 a year and the average student loan debt was $40,000. With nearly 9 out of 10 practitioners ending-up in private practice and a majority of these struggling financially, it seems clear there are problems with how those entering this profession are being prepared for practice success.
Matthew Bauer, LAc, who has managed his practice for 25 years as the sole source of income for his family of four, will share his insights on the unique skill set needed for successful private practice. Matthew teaches that managing a successful Acupuncture/Oriental medicine (A/OM) practice requires abilities found in no other profession, and failing to recognize this is the greatest issue behind failed and struggling practices. Learning how to diagnose and treat medical conditions with A/OM is one thing, understanding how to do so while earning a living within a private practice is another.
Matt will identify and offer practical steps for attaining proficiency in the skill set needed for building your successful practice. Topics covered include:
- How to estimate the odds of success – there is a logical system for determining the odds of treatment success that will allow you to explain this to your patients upfront and also deepen your own understanding of the strengths and limits of your therapies.
- How to space your treatments and why. Knowing this is as important as any diagnostic skill or treatment technique.
- How to determine your fee structure – striking the delicate balance between under-treating and over-treating depends on finding the balance between charging too much and charging too little.
- How to communicate with patients and potential patients – making acupuncture easily understandable without confusing jargon plays a big role in practice building.
- Other topics will include attracting patients to your practice, how to find and lease office space, and how following trends in the A/OM profession can secure your future.
Upon completion of the seminar you will be able to:
Perform an intake that allows an accurate estimate of treatment success.
- Describe how to space treatments for maximum therapeutic value.
- Describe the differences between primary practice models.
- Document patient progress with accuracy.
- Design an evaluation on where to locate a practice.