Ally Stoeger, OD 
As far as my age, here are a few hints. I fit contact lenses before the disposable lens era. I remember when an optometry conference was the only place you could go where lines for women’s restrooms were non-existent, while men had to wait. I was a warrior in DPA/TPA battles.
So it stands to reason that at this point of my life, I would be looking to slow down and maybe even retire. Instead I am opening a new practice, cold, about 20 miles (and an eternity of heavy traffic) away from my previous private practice.
Why would I do such a thing? And what have I learned from the past? I will address various aspects of these questions in this post and in my next few blog posts.
In 2010 I left a very successful multi-doctor practice. My husband’s job situation had changed and we wanted the freedom to move to a beach/golf community for a year or two. I had become interested in web and social media and optometry practice consulting. To supplement, I decided that instead of being a practice owner, I would become an employed optometrist.
Within just a few months of living in my new community, I realized how much I missed the social interactions that had been a seamless part of my patient interactions. My friends were my patients and many patients had become friends. I had been part of the fabric of the community, and I missed that. Sitting in front of a computer developing articles, podcasts and other optometry resources began to feel too isolated.
Over the past two years I have filled in at both private practices and corporate-affiliated practices. What surprised me was how the practice of optometry varied from doctor to doctor and office to office. I realized that unless I set up my own practice, it was unlikely I would find a practice owner who shared my practice philosophy, needed an associate, and was located in an area I was interested in moving to.
I learned from my experience as a fill-in optometrist how much I disliked lengthy drive times. If the practice was in a suburban or urban area, traffic was an issue. In rural areas, I did not care for driving long distances on dark empty roads, especially since many practices are open after 6 pm. I realized that it was important to me to live and work in the same community.
My stint as a fill-in optometrist also made me realize how important equipment and ergonomics are, especially as you get older. Younger employed doctors may be able to ignore this. But I was at a point in my life where I valued equipment choices that were healthy for my neck, back and shoulders.
My scheduling preference is three- or four-hour shifts, with an ample break in between shifts so that I can exercise or take a healthy lunch break. My new practice is just steps away from a sports and health center—and that was an important part of my location decision. I even have a great view of the mountains while on the treadmill.
Another benefit of shorter shifts and ample breaks is that patients appreciate a doctor who is calm and focused as compared to a doctor so schedule-stressed that they can’t wait for their last patient to leave.
Being able to practice in a community that I would become a part of, and being able to control equipment and scheduling were just a few of the reasons I came back to private practice. In my next blog I will discuss some of the other reasons I decided to launch a second practice and some of the challenges (and rewards) I am experiencing along the way.
Have any of you sold a practice only to launch a new one a few years later? Any tips out there from other second timers?
Ally Stoeger, OD, is founder of www.RealPracticeToday.com and president of Consulting With Vision LLC, an optometry practice consulting firm. She was a founding and managing partner of a multi-doctor practice and is now in the process of opening a new practice in Virginia. Contact: ally@realpracticetoday.com.
