How attainable is partnership for an incoming physician? Balances the cash they must produce at ingress against the total buy-in cost including financing. Internally financed structures get credit for reducing up-front cash requirements, while the total obligation still weighs on the score—reflecting that a larger financed cost is harder to outperform on a younger physician's income.
Upfront score = f(avg up-front cash / expected share value)
Total score = f(avg total buy-in / expected share value)
Access = 0.50 × upfront score + 0.50 × total score
where f(r) = 100 − scale(r, 1× to 4× of expected share)
Expected share value = (group property value × 20%) ÷ founding partners — a typical 80% LTV financing basis, so a group's actual leverage (unusually high or low) does not distort affordability. A buy-in at or below one expected share scores 100; at four times that value it scores 0.
Worked example. Group property value $32.0M × 20% ÷ 95 founding partners = $67,410 expected share. Internally-financed structure: $42K down + $168K total buy-in.
• Up-front ratio: $42K ÷ $67K = 0.62× (below 1×) → 100
• Total ratio: $168K ÷ $67K = 2.49× → 100 − (2.49 − 1)/(4 − 1) × 100 = 50
• Blend: 0.50 × 100 + 0.50 × 50 = 75