Working in a partnership

Working in a partnership: Being ‘the boss' together  

Towards the end of high school, Caroline Kooij didn't really know what she wanted to do with her life, but this all changed after she read a study guide and visited an open day. "I was sold!"

After her training in Amsterdam, which she completed in 2003, Caroline Kooij worked as a stand-in in various practices for several years. She then joined a partnership, where she now works with eight colleagues. "After working as a stand-in, which is always temporary, working in a partnership is particularly pleasant because you build up relationships: you know your clients well, the home care maternity assistants in the region, all the midwives at the hospital ..." Caroline works in the partnership full time: one day of consultations, two 24-hour shifts and a morning/afternoon for meetings, admin and other ‘partnership matters'. "The 24-hour shift is from 17.00 to 17.00. You receive the shift telephone and a folder with patient information. Sometimes you work day and night, but other times you get to sleep at home as usual."

How do you end up in a partnership? "Well, you are asked to join, which happened to me after I had worked as a stand-in for some time. I like being my own boss. Another advantage of a large practice is that you can share the tasks involved in running a business. Everyone has their own subspecialism: one partner supervises students, a second does admin, a third makes ultrasounds, etc. It's important that you get along well with the other partners, though, both personally and in business matters. You have to be prepared to be open to other people's opinions, working with others. In essence, you're responsible for each others' salaries."