At all the coporate offices that I've worked for, the managing GPs have always treated me as an equal. I, however, I’ve always treated all the GPs (not just the managing GPs but the associate GPs as well) there as if they are my boss because I feel I need them more than they need me. More referrals = more starts = higher bonuses = less chance of getting fired. When these GPs quit their jobs and start their own offices, I usually try to keep in touch with them so they continue to refer their patients to my private offices. That’s why whenever any of these GPs wants me to remove wire(s) or bracket(s) for fillings or cleanings, I immediately send one of my staff over (or I, myself, come over) to the GP side to do whatever the GPs request....no matter how busy we are at the ortho side.
In addition to referring patients to me, these GPs also help me take care of the ortho emergencies since I am not at the corp office 5 days/week like them. They help re-placing the separators. They help calming down the angry parents when a poky wire (a quad helix, an RPE, or a tongue crib etc) keeps their kids awake at night. They help by saying nice things about me to the parents when the parents start to lose trust in me. I’ve always had very good relationships with the GPs at the corp offices.