i've got to share this one!

Intro:

I have often hated this profession for its flagrant dishonesty and cruelty but I have changed my opinion as the years have gone by. I am now thankful for picking this profession! Podiatry has taught me not to trust. It has taught be how to deal with ruthless and dishonest people. It has taught me how to take abuse and how to give it. I have learned many lessons in business from this little profession and I am lucky that I went through this process.

Older pods:

While in pod school, i often heard not to trust older podiatrists. I kept this thought in the back of my head but it was not really an issue as I started my own practice and was not pimped out as an associate like many of my fellow classmates. My opinion on associateships: unless he really wants to sell you the practice, you have a 95% chance of leaving his practice unhappy..but this is just my opinion. A good thing to find out is how many associates have been there before you. Some of our "collegues" seem to get a new one every 1-2 years. Remember you are spit on the sidewalk to these people.

Back to the story... So recently an older podiatrist attempted to "give" me a contract for a facility as long as I would just sign a little contract protecting his "interest"

I read his little contract and sure enough it had the "scr*w you" language in it. What do you know, the old maxim about podiatry holds true haha.

Lucky for me I didn't sign his toilet paper and I gained the facility anyway.

So here is the moral..boys and girls... trust an older pod as much as you trust a used car salesman, an ex-con, or your local crooked politician.

Here is my advice about dealing with the "older" pods.

1. Only meet at your office...never i repeat never at his!!!!
2. Invite your attorney or CPA to be there at the meeting. Encourage this person to bust the guys chops and deflate his concept. Don't tell the older pod that you won't be alone at the meeting.
3. Cancel the meeting at the last minute and reschedule just to show who is in control
4. Give him an uncomfortable chair to sit in...haha and make the room either hot or cold hahah.
5. Don't sign anything without attorney review.
6. Never trust his financial statements!!! Have your CPA get them from the IRS. Ask for permission to visit his bank and check his deposit records. Have absolutely no trust whatsoever in anything he says.
Verify! Verify! Verify! Trust is for suckers.
5. If he is being sweet and nice..you are getting screwed.
6. get that pupply dog look off your face that you used in residency interviews to get the slot and toughen up!
7. If he refuses any request for financial statements tell him to go xxxx xxxxxxx and find another deal.