No matter the region, medical and dental practice sales are common and take place for a myriad of reasons in a manner that best suits the selling practitioner's goals and objectives. Often, physicians sell their practices to hospitals, health care systems, private equity, practice management companies and similar organizations and continue to practice as an employee of the acquirer thereafter. Another option considered by many practitioners is to become part of a larger, independent medical group through a merger where the medical practice is controlled and owned by physicians. Practitioners also engage in practice sales for the purpose of succession planning and preparing for retirement where the practitioners choose to sell their practices to another younger solo-practitioner who then employs the senior practitioner on a wind-down basis until retirement. Understanding the reasons for and goals to be accomplished by a transaction can help an adviser to a doctor narrow down which transaction structure (e.g., merger or sale/acquisition (collectively "practice transaction")) would be in the best interests of one's client.

One thing to be cognizant of for solo practitioner and small group practice clients is the lack of protection in the event of death, illness, disability or retirement. In too many cases, physicians become absent for extended periods due to disability and, in some cases, they pass away without a clear plan of practice transitioning in place. In these circumstances, their practices were often decimated from greatly reduced volume and economic standpoints, shifting from being an asset to becoming a liability.