Is an associateship phase necessary?
The answer depends on a number of issues. If the situation is a general, solo practice, the answer would be no in most cases. If the practice is large enough to support more than one doctor or if it is a specialty practice, then the answer might be yes. Practices can be successfully transferred without the buyer working in the practice beforehand. If there is going to be an associateship phase, the details of the eventual transaction should be negotiated upfront (preferably even before the associateship begins).
