It seems that in healthcare (as in almost all else) the big keep getting bigger and the small keep getting smaller. So what is the fate of the solo practitioner? And what of the small, independent medical clinic? It is a fact that smaller practices are not as common as they used to be. The trend is downward: in 1980, 40% of all practices were solo practitioners. Today? 17%. And although four in ten physicians today practice in independent clinics (with five or less docs