Orthotown April 2024 - 42

OFFICE VISIT
What was it like working
for Canada's first OSO?
I had many options after my residency.
I was considering Ontario or
the East Coast, where I was born and
raised, but having been away from
my family and home province for
eight years, it was an easy decision to
return to New Brunswick once I met
the OSO's founding orthodontist
The opportunity was not presented
as " working for an OSO " ; rather, this
doctor had a huge clinic plus four
other locations, all under the same
practice brand and logo, in a few other
cities in Atlantic Canada, all within
250 miles.
I practiced mainly at his founding
clinic and one other moderately sized
location. Within a couple of months,
the OSO had acquired other practices
across Canada, and by the time I left
4½ years later, the organization had
grown to include more than 55 clinics
across the country.
Being able to witness the growth
of an OSO from the inside was a
unique and eye-opening experience.
In residency, we rarely talked about
During my final year
of residency, I knew
I didn't want to step
into practice ownership
immediately, but I also
knew I wanted to be a
practice owner at some
point. That's why my
startup journey began
in residency.
" corporate " because there wasn't a
strong presence in Canada at that
time, even though I knew the model
existed in the United States. By
watching this corporate entity grow
as I worked in the founding clinic as
the solo orthodontist, I had a unique
vantage in that I was viewed as " the
orthodontist " to the practice's patients
without being the practice owner.
I began observing every little thing
and evaluating it as if I owned the
practice, but without the responsibility
of being the decision-maker.
All of this helped me understand the
importance that everything (big and
small) has-from office systems and
protocols to team culture and
so on.
Lay out your startup journey.
Starting a practice from scratch is
certainly not an easy task. That said,
I believe that the startup journey
for anyone should always begin the
same-with a vision.
I know all too well the circumstances
and thoughts that residents
and recent graduates face: skyrocketing
student debt, the lack of a realworld
private practice experience and
the heavy decisions that can weigh on
one's mind when navigating a career
path after graduation. It's not easy to
figure out those details, but you must
take time alone for self-reflection
and continuously ask yourself, " What
kind of orthodontic career do I want
to have? "
During my final year of residency,
I knew I didn't want to step into practice
ownership immediately, but I also
knew I wanted to be a practice owner
at some point. That's why my startup
journey began in residency. I visited
APRIL 2024 | 42 | ORTHOTOWN.COM
several orthodontic practices to learn
about their office cultures, ergonomic
office design and systems. Crafting a
vision takes time and persistent effort,
but it is the most critical starting point
and will lay the foundation for when
you decide to leap.
After gaining experience as an
associate for a few years, I grew eager
to bet on myself and go for it-to start
my practice. I simply felt it was time
for me to make a change.
How'd you know it was time?
I don't think anyone considering a
startup will truly feel " ready, " because
there are always aspects of practice
ownership you can learn only through
experience.
The opportunity arose when I made
a phone call to an oral surgeon friend
and colleague regarding a mutual
patient's third molars. We chatted
briefly and when I asked him what
was new, he told me that a group of his
colleagues (three oral surgeons) were
looking to open another oral surgery
clinic in the Saint John area.
When I told him I was from Saint
John and asked how he felt about an
orthodontist joining them for their
new endeavor, that was all it took.
We got together as a group, planned,
and before I knew it, we had a location
in my hometown to build a new
professional center.
What were the most valuable tools
you learned from the OSO model?
Aside from the numerous practice
metrics I learned about when evaluating
a practice's growth and success,
working at a fast-paced clinic where
I'd see close to 100 patients per day
prompted me to evaluate my clinic
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Orthotown April 2024

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