Dentaltown New Grad Edition 2020 - 3

professional courtesy
column

Hot Topics for New Dentists
I graduated from dental school more than 25 years
ago. That's a long time, but in some ways not much has
changed: Whether you're about to graduate or you just
finished school, you will be confronted with educational
costs, board exams, experience (or lack thereof) and the
distribution of dentists. You have a lifetime of education
under your belt, and entering the workforce is filled with
big decisions. The good news is that these are perennial
issues that we each find a path to conquer.

Educational costs
The mountain of debt that follows most new dentists
into their profession is well documented. My debt was
significantly smaller than what you may be facing now,
but it was large in the economy of the time-in fact, I
referred to my student loans as my "second home" because
the payment was nearly equivalent to my mortgage.
My best advice is to live below your means until you've
established a plan for loan payback. A great book on
the topic is The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising
Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley.

Board exams
One of the positive unintended consequences of the
COVID-19 pandemic is that we may finally see some
board exam reform. The pandemic hit when students
around the country were fi nishing their studies and
preparing for in-person board exams. Some students
managed to take the exam before the shutdown, but
others were unable to take the much-criticized live patient
exams that have been a mainstay for too many years.
Let's hope we can finally work toward an exam that does
not require live patients with specific conditions to be
the final word on your dental license.

Experience
On the other hand, the pandemic's
timing put a major dent in experience
that junior and senior dental students
could gain. Face it, a new graduate
from dental school knows just enough
to be dangerous. As the old saying
goes, they call it practice for a reason.

I think it's more important than
ever to consider extending
your education with a
hospital-based GPR or
an AEGD program.
The experience and
k nowledge you
gain from these
programs doesn't
compare to going
out into the
workforce. Working in a
corporate practice or small private
practice simply doesn't provide the time
needed to sharpen your skills or have
access to multiple mentors. A GPR or AEGD
is built for instruction as the priority.

Distribution of dentists
Many students and young dentists are concerned
about the number of dentists in the industry. Is there a
glut? Do we have too many dentists? The short answer is
no. The primary problem with access to opportunity is
the distribution of dentists. Gone are the days of opening
your doors and patients pouring in; today, you'll need
to be more flexible in your quest for success. Consider
working in a community that has a statistical need for
a dentist. The pandemic is driving population from
some cities into the suburbs and small towns. These
will be the areas of growth in the future.

You're not alone
I hope these topics will stimulate some conversation
with your colleagues and I invite you to share your
comments on Dentaltown.com. The site is home to
thousands of dentists around the world who are willing
to share their thoughts and wisdom through our message
boards 24/7/365. You will also find an extensive library
of CE courses to guide your professional development.
Feel free to leave a comment or question under
this article online at dentaltown.com/magazine. You
can also reach me by email at tom@dentaltown.com.
Best wishes for success in this wonderful profession! ■

by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, editorial director, Dentaltown magazine

dentaltown.com \\ NEW GRADS 2020

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Dentaltown New Grad Edition 2020

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