Q: All things being equal would you associate in a practice with a weekly volume of patients: 150 or 600? Same pay. More hours 5.5days/150pvwk 4 days/600pvwk A: Thanks for your e-mail. If you do not wish to practice on your own you have two choices .. an associate or an independent contractor. As you have realized an asscociate is a paid employee .. you receive a salary without the headaches of ownership. If you will get the same pay in either practice .. lower or higher volume clinics .. in tems of your physical wear and tear you are better off with the lower volume practice. But .. how long can the lower volume DC sustain having an associate unless you attempt to get new patients? If this is the case you can possibly arrange to get compensated via bonuses making working harder more profitable. The larger volume practice has the ability and need for an associate and may already have built in incentives making your salary flexible towards more. So .. depending on your energy level and what you feel about the clinics and DC's either way is okay. Personally .. I would work at the larger clinic and be assured there are built in bonuses or the smaller clinic with the possiblility of growth and increased salary upon productions Hope that wasn't too confusing.