Startup Out of Residency Tips (with Dr. Craig Harrison)

Dec 23, 2024

Dr. Craig Harrison, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who launched a solo practice in Fort Worth after residency. He talks about choosing location and leasing versus buying, securing financing and handling bank timing, managing construction and contractors, staffing and hiring strategies, balancing part-time work while building the practice, and marketing through local relationships and SEO.

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ADVICE

Use A Medical Real Estate Specialist For Location Choice

Do engage a medical/dental real estate specialist to analyze demographics and find growth areas before committing to a location.
Harrison worked with a Dallas medical real estate group that provided demographic modeling and led to choosing a growing southwest Fort Worth neighborhood.

ADVICE

Hire A Specialist Designer For Buildouts

Do hire an office designer who specializes in oral surgery buildouts to avoid costly mistakes on layout and equipment.
Harrison hired DHP Surgical and designer Scott Perry who only outfits oral surgery offices to specify needed equipment and layout.

INSIGHT

Bank Financing Shapes Your Budget And Property Decision

Bank of America is the dominant lender for dental/medical startups and sets a practical budget via their loan offers.
Harrison received a ~$750K loan framework which directly determined leasing versus buying decisions.

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What does it take to launch a successful oral surgery practice straight out of residency? In this episode of Everyday Oral Surgery, we sit down with Dr. Craig Harrison, a recently graduated oral surgeon practicing in Fort Worth, Texas. In our conversation, Dr. Harrison discusses his journey of transitioning from residency to opening a solo practice and shares invaluable insights for surgeons considering the startup route. Hear about his experiences navigating real estate decisions, securing the best financing option, and hiring staff for his practice. Explore the importance of professional networks in building a practice, why finding the right people to work with is vital, and the challenges of starting a practice from scratch. Dr. Harrison also details the benefits of founding your own practice, his marketing strategies, balancing part-time work with building a practice, and more. Join us to learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and hear actionable tips for building your dream practice with Dr. Craig Harrison. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

Dr. Harrison shares his background, life growing up, and his training.
Find out why he decided to start his own solo practice and how he got started.
Leveraging his network for advice and other resources he found useful.
Hear about his experience working with Bank of America to secure financing.
Why Fort Worth was an ideal location and the process of finding the right contractor.
The challenges of managing construction timelines and dealing with contractors.
Staffing the practice: hiring through Indeed and leveraging family expertise for recruitment.
Balancing part-time work while building the practice and lessons from his experience.
His marketing strategy: build relationships with local dentists and enhance online visibility.
Advice for residents considering the startup route and the importance of mentorship.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Craig Harrison on LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/craig-e-harrison-ii-dds-md-2b849889/

Dr. Craig Harrison on Instagram — https://instagram.com/chisholmtrailoralsurgery/

Chisholm Trail Oral Surgery — https://chisholmtrailoralsurgery.com/

Baylor University Medical Center — https://bswhealth.com/locations/dallas-hospital

The Startup Dentist — https://amazon.com/Startup-Dentist-Definitive-Starting-Successful/dp/B0BLR5C3JV

Bank of America — https://www.bankofamerica.com/

DHP Surgical — https://www.dhpsupply.com/surgical

Indeed — https://www.indeed.com/

Unreasonable Hospitality — https://amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573

Outlive — https://www.amazon.com/Outlive-Science-Art-Longevity/dp/1785044559/

Icarus —https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6333060/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook —