The compensation structure for this position reflects the reality of building a surgical practice: a guaranteed income during your ramp-up period, followed by the opportunity to earn based on your productivity and eventually share in the full rewards of partnership. This is not a traditional employed position with a fixed ceiling. It is an opportunity to build wealth through ownership in a thriving surgical practice.
San Antonio Regional Hospital provides a 12-month income guarantee to support your transition into the practice. During this period, you will receive a guaranteed salary of approximately $500,000 while you complete credentialing, build your patient panel, and establish referral relationships. The hospital also provides a $25,000 sign-on bonus.
Dr. Abidali has been direct about the timeline: surgical practices take longer to ramp up than other specialties. Insurance credentialing alone takes approximately six months, and building a surgical reputation requires time regardless of your experience level. The income guarantee exists precisely because the partners understand this reality and want you to have financial stability while you grow into the practice.
After the income guarantee period, your compensation structure will depend on your productivity and the ongoing discussions with Dr. Abidali. The partners are considering multiple models: a continued salary arrangement, or a production-based model where you bill and collect for your work, cover your share of overhead expenses, and keep the remainder. The specific structure will be determined based on your performance during the guarantee period and mutual agreement between you and the partners.
The overhead for the practice runs approximately 25%, which is efficient for a surgical group. Call pay at Pomona Valley Hospital is $1,000 per day; call compensation details for San Antonio Regional Hospital will be finalized as part of your employment structure. During the partnership phase, call revenue is split evenly among all partners.
Partnership is the ultimate financial opportunity in this position. Dr. Abidali has stated clearly that he wants partners, and he is willing to bring the right person to full partnership with equal compensation and ownership. However, partnership is earned, not given. The earliest discussions about partnership would begin after your first year, with a realistic pathway to partnership requiring approximately two years of demonstrated commitment and productivity.
Partnership requires a buy-in, which is formula-based and tied to the practice's revenue at the time of buy-in. Dr. Abidali estimates the buy-in would be in the range of a couple hundred thousand dollars. This investment purchases your share of a practice with significant revenue potential.
The financial upside of partnership is substantial. Dr. Abidali has indicated that partners who work hard can earn well over $1 million annually, with the potential to approach $2 million for those who build very busy practices. The payer mix in the Inland Empire is described as the best in the region, with strong PPO representation, which supports healthy reimbursement rates.
Specific details regarding health insurance, retirement plans, malpractice coverage, CME allowances, and paid time off should be confirmed during the interview process. These details will be finalized as part of the third-party agreement between the practice and San Antonio Regional Hospital.
The true value of this opportunity lies not in the benefits package but in the partnership track. You are being invited to join a practice where your hard work directly builds your own wealth, where the partners genuinely want to see you succeed, and where the volume and payer mix support excellent long-term earnings. This is an investment in your future, backed by a guaranteed income while you establish yourself.