The risks of small community practice.

Small community practice has risks not present in a metropolitan practice. The practice is general orthopaedics and subspecialization does not thrive. The quality of consulting physicians and the community hospital may not be of the level desired. The benefits for the orthopaedic surgeon are the high respect he or she and his or her family enjoy in the community, and the high level of appreciation that the citizens and patients give to the doctor. The risk for malpractice suits is small because of the familiarity of the patients and the doctor.