I am Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.
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The Harsh Reality of Private Practice
You’ve spent years mastering physiatry, but no one warned you that running a business is a different beast entirely. One day, you’re celebrating a packed schedule, the next, insurance reimbursements shift, referral patterns change, and suddenly, your once-thriving practice feels like it’s slipping away. The fear creeps in: “What if I fail?” “What if I’m not cut out for this?” “What if I made a mistake going solo?”
Here’s the truth: Uncertainty isn’t your enemy. Stubbornness is. Success in private practice isn’t about being the best clinician—it’s about being the most adaptable. The physiatrists who win aren’t the smartest; they’re the ones who evolve. Let’s break down the mindset shifts you need to go from barely surviving to thriving, even when everything around you is changing.
1. Adapt or Die: The Business Lesson from Buggy Whips
Once upon a time, horse-drawn carriages ruled the streets. Entire industries were built around them—saddle makers, carriage builders, and, yes, buggy whip manufacturers. Then came the automobile.
Some saw the future and pivoted their businesses. Others clung to the past. You don’t need me to tell you what happened to the stubborn ones.
The same is happening in medicine right now.
• Reimbursements are shrinking.
• Insurance companies are tightening their grip.
• Referral pipelines are shifting.
Stubborn physiatrists who refuse to adapt will struggle. The ones who evolve will thrive.
Are you relying on outdated business models—or are you preparing for the future?
2. Flexibility is the Key to a Profitable Practice
Darwin said it best: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Physiatrists love to believe that “if I just provide excellent care, patients will come.” Wrong.
• If you’re refusing to market your practice, you’re leaving money on the table.
• If you’re stuck in an insurance-heavy model that underpays you, you’re bleeding revenue.
• If you won’t embrace new business strategies, your competitors will—and they’ll take your patients with them.
The best clinics aren’t the ones with the best doctors. They’re the ones that know how to evolve—and stubborn physiatrists are often the ones preventing that evolution from happening.
3. Smart Persistence vs. Blind Stubbornness
Persistence is a great trait—until it becomes self-destruction.
The physiatrists who refuse to evolve—who insist on keeping the same failing business model year after year—are no different from the buggy whip makers watching cars flood the streets.
• Smart persistence: Adjusting to industry shifts, learning business skills, and investing in growth.
• Blind stubbornness: Waiting for “things to go back to normal” and refusing to change.
One leads to a profitable, thriving practice. The other leads to burnout and failure.
4. Stubborn Physiatrists Won’t Thrive in the Future
If your business isn’t where you want it to be, ask yourself:
• Am I adapting, or am I resisting change?
• Am I learning, or am I assuming things will magically improve?
• Am I acting like a business owner—or just a clinician hoping things work out?
Uncertainty is scary. But do you know what’s scarier? Staying the same while the world changes around you. Stubborn physiatrists are often the ones holding onto the past, waiting for the perfect moment instead of creating it. Are you ready to break free from that mindset?
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Once you’ve decided that you want to leave your current job to start your practice, you need an exit plan. Check out our blog post here for tips on developing an exit plan and starting your new independent practice.
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I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.
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Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com
