Selecting Partners 

• Choosing the Right Partner
  Journal of Clinical Orthodontics
  David Gage
  June 2001
  Dr. Howard Iba, editor of the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, writes that professionals who are considering taking on a partner "may find that taking the extra step of hiring an experienced psychologist will increase your chances of a successful outcome." David Gage identifies essential elements of a successful partnership: a good fit between the personalities, similar values, the ability to be team players, compatible goals, and mutual trust. He says, "Carefully assessing these critical relationship elements, especially the first two—personalities and values—gives a practice owner a tremendous advantage when selecting a partner." This article describes how psychologists can evaluate these variables and how medical professionals can benefit from discovering the results.
• Retiring Early? Better Prepare Now
  Dentist's Money Digest
  Ed Rabinowitz
  2000
  Partners are among the most important people in our lives. This is true for dentists, orthodontists, and other medical specialists who must count on someone buying into their practice and keeping it going in order to realize the final fruits of their labor. David Gage cautions, "Bringing in the wrong person can sour a perfectly good practice." He points out that there are numerous drawbacks to trying to figure out if a candidate is a good fit without some outside assistance. What-you-see is not always what-you-get. An assessment by a psychologist can offer an extra measure of safety when the stakes are very high.
• Use Caution When Selecting a Partner
  Denver Post, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Indianapolis Star, Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), Daily Commerce (Los Angeles, CA)
  Jane Applegate
  May 2000
  "It's much easier for partners to work on a business plan or a marketing plan than to sort out how they're going to treat each other," says David Gage in this look at some questions small business owners should ask themselves before taking on a partner.
• What to Look for When Opening the Door to a Partnership
  The Washington Post
  Marianne Kyriakos
  December 2, 1991
  Diving into business partnership without carefully considering all of the things that can go wrong gets a lot of people in trouble. A number of experts on partners share a few key suggestions for people considering joining forces. "Partnerships often form for all the wrong reasons," David Gage says. "They often come together simply because people have money, and that's understandable. But it is not the way you want to form a partnership, which is very much like a marriage, because of the amount of time spent together and the cooperation necessary to make it work."
• Change Your Practice Successfully!
  Martin L. Schulman
  
  A comprehensive guide to partnership and/or sale of your medical/dental practice.