Part-time doctor pay

Q: How should I pay part-time veterinarians and gauge their benefits?

"Part-time doctors don't usually receive any benefits," says Veterinary Economics Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman, CVPM, owner of VMC Inc. in Evergreen, Colo. "In fact, one reason someone would choose to be a full-time veterinarian would be to receive benefits.

"I prefer to pay a part-time doctor based on production—between 20 percent and 23 percent of the fees generated and collected for services the doctor's formally involved in delivering," he says. "This way, they're paid by what they produce, not the number of hours they work. This creates a win-win situation: The associates get paid fairly, and the practice won't feel taken advantage of."

Mark Opperman