The compensation structure reflects a deliberate philosophy that talented physicians should benefit immediately from their productivity rather than spending years earning the right to full partnership. You will join as an equal partner from day one, participating in practice decisions and sharing in revenues according to your clinical production rather than seniority. This eat-what-you-kill model creates direct correlation between your work and your income, eliminating the artificial caps and complex formulas that plague practices where compensation committees determine your worth through opaque calculations disconnected from your actual productivity.
The group has abandoned traditional buy-in requirements that force new physicians to purchase equity they already earn through clinical work. You will not write a six-figure check for the privilege of joining colleagues who need your skills and productivity. Instead, you contribute to shared practice expenses as they occur, with equipment purchases and facility improvements divided equally among partners. This approach recognizes that the practice needs you as much as you might want the opportunity, creating genuine partnership rather than the indentured servitude that characterized older practice models.
Similarly, the group has eliminated buy-out provisions that trap physicians in unsatisfying practice situations through financial penalty. If you choose to leave the practice, you walk away without owing money for phantom equity or facing restrictive covenants that make practicing in the region impossible. This flexibility benefits both you and the practice, as physicians who feel trapped produce lower quality work and create toxic environments that damage patient care and colleague relationships. The group prefers attracting physicians who genuinely want to practice in Stockton rather than holding them hostage through financial mechanisms.
Current full-time physicians in the practice generate between $300,000 and $500,000 annually, a range that reflects both the production model and individual work patterns. The variability comes from physicians working different schedules rather than arbitrary practice policies limiting earning potential. If you see 28 to 32 patients daily in the office across four days weekly, maintain a robust surgical schedule with one OR day weekly, and manage call responsibilities professionally, you will find yourself toward the higher end of this range. Physicians choosing part-time schedules or limiting certain aspects of practice naturally earn less, but this reflects personal choice rather than practice restrictions.
The math underlying these income projections requires understanding both volume and reimbursement. Annual collections exceeding $1 million are achievable with the patient volumes described, particularly given the payor mix that balances Medicare rates with more favorable commercial reimbursement. With practice overhead running slightly under 50 percent, collections of $1 million translate to approximately $500,000 in physician compensation before considering additional revenue streams from call pay, ancillary services, and potential ASC ownership.
You should understand that these numbers represent actual physician experience rather than marketing projections or theoretical maximums. Dr. Dong and his full-time colleagues currently demonstrate that this income level is sustainable with the patient volumes and case mix available in Stockton. The six-month wait for appointments indicates demand that will support your practice immediately rather than requiring years to build referral relationships and establish patient volume. You walk into established patient flow that many physicians spend their first several years developing.
The compensation compares favorably with employed positions in the region when you account for autonomy, schedule control, and upside potential. Kaiser and Sutter offer starting salaries around $380,000 to $450,000 for ENT positions in the Sacramento area, with Kaiser providing the pension benefits that create golden handcuffs for long-term physicians. However, these employed positions cap your income regardless of productivity, restrict your clinical decision-making through corporate protocols, and subject you to administrators who measure success through metrics that often conflict with quality patient care. The Stockton partnership model provides income security without sacrificing autonomy or limiting upside potential.
St. Joseph's Medical Center will provide a one-year income guarantee with a three-year payback provision, creating financial security during your ramp-up period while the practice establishes you in the community and referring physicians learn to include you in their referral patterns. This guarantee functions as insurance rather than expected subsidy, as patient demand suggests you will exceed the guaranteed income within months rather than years. The hospital benefits from having additional ENT coverage for their emergency department and inpatient consultations, making this support a strategic investment in maintaining specialty access rather than charity for a struggling practice.
The three-year payback means that if you receive guarantee payments during your first year, you repay this amount over the subsequent three years only if your income exceeds the guarantee level. This structure protects you from financial hardship while ensuring the hospital recoups support payments once you reach sustainable productivity. Given current patient volumes and referral patterns, most physicians joining underserved markets like Stockton come off income guarantee support within six months, sometimes sooner if they maintain aggressive scheduling and handle surgical cases efficiently.
The hospital also provides moving assistance and a sign-on bonus, recognizing that relocation creates financial burden and opportunity cost. These payments help offset the expense of selling a home in your current location, moving household goods, and potentially carrying two mortgages during transition periods. The sign-on bonus acknowledges that you might forgo other opportunities to choose Stockton, and the hospital wants to make the financial decision easier by reducing short-term financial stress.
Your income extends beyond clinical practice through several ancillary sources that supplement your base compensation. Call coverage at St. Joseph's Medical Center generates stipend payments that reward your availability and expertise. While call obligations involve some lifestyle compromise, the financial compensation reflects the value hospitals place on having specialty coverage available for their emergency departments and inpatient populations. The optional call coverage at Lodi Memorial Hospital provides additional income for physicians willing to expand their call rotation, creating flexibility to balance income goals against lifestyle preferences.
The surgery center at St. Joseph's operates as a joint venture between USBI and local surgeons, creating ownership opportunity that generates passive income from facility fees independent of your surgical volume. You will have the option to purchase equity in the ASC, positioning yourself to benefit from all surgical cases performed at the facility rather than just your own procedures. This investment requires capital contribution, but the returns typically exceed what you could earn through comparable investment vehicles while giving you voice in facility governance and operations.
The in-office audiology services generate modest revenue that flows to the practice, though the deliberate decision to avoid hearing aid sales limits this income stream compared to practices that aggressively market amplification devices. Similarly, the in-office CT capability creates professional and technical fee revenue from imaging studies ordered during patient evaluations. These ancillary services add incremental income while improving clinical efficiency and patient satisfaction, as families appreciate comprehensive evaluation during single visits rather than multiple appointments at different facilities.
Practice overhead runs slightly under 50 percent, a level that reflects efficient operations without the bloat that characterizes poorly managed medical practices. This overhead covers rent for the office at Trinity Parkway, salaries for support staff including medical assistants and front desk personnel, malpractice insurance premiums, medical supplies, EPIC licensing and IT infrastructure, and the various fixed costs that any medical practice incurs. The 50 percent overhead means that for every dollar you collect, approximately fifty cents remains as physician compensation after covering all practice expenses.
This overhead percentage compares favorably with both solo practices and large group settings. Solo practitioners often face overhead exceeding 60 percent because they cannot spread fixed costs across multiple physicians, while large corporate groups add layers of administrative expense that consume revenue without improving clinical operations. The Stockton practice has found the sweet spot where practice size creates operational efficiency without bureaucratic waste.
As equal partners, you share overhead expenses proportionally with your colleagues. When the practice needs new equipment, wants to upgrade facilities, or faces unexpected expenses, costs divide equally among the partners regardless of individual income levels. This equal sharing creates incentive for fiscally responsible decision-making, as unnecessary spending affects your personal income directly rather than disappearing into abstract corporate budgets that no individual physician controls or comprehends.
The practice provides comprehensive health insurance coverage for you and your family, eliminating the substantial out-of-pocket expense that burdens many independent contractors or physicians in less generous employment arrangements. Dental and vision coverage extends this protection to routine care that maintains your family's health and wellbeing. The malpractice insurance coverage protects you professionally with occurrence-based policies that provide security even after you leave the practice, should you choose to do so eventually.
The group offers retirement plan options that allow tax-advantaged savings for your future, though the specific structure may vary as the practice evaluates different vehicle options. Professional liability coverage, state medical license fees, DEA registration, and continuing medical education expenses receive practice support, eliminating the nickel-and-dime costs that surprise many physicians when they first understand the true expense of maintaining medical credentials and staying current with professional requirements.
This compensation model reflects strong demand for ENT services in the community and a belief that physicians should directly benefit from meeting that need. There are no complex formulas or arbitrary income caps—your earnings are tied transparently to your productivity. In a straightforward eat-what-you-kill structure, you control your income through your scheduling, case mix, and clinical workload.
Financial transparency is central to the practice. You receive regular reports outlining collections, expenses, and individual productivity compared to partners. This visibility supports informed decision-making, shared accountability, and responsible management of practice operations.
The partnership model aligns your personal financial success with the success of the practice. When the practice performs well, you benefit directly. When expenses require oversight, partners collectively guide those decisions. This ownership mindset distinguishes true partnership from employment models where physicians have little insight into practice economics.
Long term, this structure provides meaningful wealth-building potential. With strong base income, partnership equity without a buy-in, ownership opportunities in ancillary services and surgery centers, and a lower cost of living compared to major metro areas, physicians can build substantial net worth over time—often exceeding that of employed peers due to retained equity and investment growth.