Orthotown December 2021 - 12

behind the curtain
5 Failures That Forged Me
by Dr. Kyle Fagala
[Editor's note: In this recurring
column, in their own words, some of the
most well-known orthodontists share stories
of personal or professional struggles they
have managed, or continue to manage,
during their journey in orthodontics. If
you're interested in participating, email
Orthotown's editorial director, Dr. Chad
Foster, at chad@farranmedia.com.]
I entered my eighth year of orthodontic
practice last July. Saddle Creek Orthodontics
could not be more different from when I
started from scratch as a wide-eyed and
recently graduated 29-year-old back in
2013. I was drowning in debt, had zero
experience in business and was opening a
practice only because I was out of options.
Fortunately, my wife, Anna, had six years of
experience in orthodontics as a scheduling
and treatment coordinator. Beyond that, we
were pretty clueless, albeit hopeful.
Today I feel lucky that when I look back
on all the decisions that we made-and
they are countless-there are really
only a handful of decisions that I count
as true failures. Chalk that up to dumb
luck, God's good favor or maybe that
my personality compels me to consider
the advice and wisdom of dozens before
moving forward with any major decision,
but whatever the case, we've skated through
relatively unscathed.
How can this help you? If you're a
resident considering practice ownership, a
new practice owner or even a veteran practice
owner who has grown tired of hearing
orthodontists preach unmitigated success
at meetings or on podcasts, this column is
for you. I believe there is great wisdom
to be gleaned from considering the
perspectives of others, and I trust
that my mistakes can help inform
your success.
Failure #1:
When I made an 86 on boards
I decided that I wanted to do orthodontics
somewhere around my second year
of dental school. Obviously, a lot of that
hinged on my board score. My class rank
was always in the top 10, and I was active
in extracurriculars, but I really struggled
with studying for my Part I boards. I could
have worked harder and the pressure of
the moment defi nitely got the best of me.
In short, I didn't deliver on my potential,
and I knew it. An 86 was far less than
what I was capable of, and certainly wasn't
the sort of score that guaranteed entry into
orthodontics. I considered retaking the
test but ultimately I decided to press on.
This experience instilled a feeling
of inferiority that I battled for the next
couple of years of dental school, and into
my early career in orthodontics. On the
bright side, it also taught me humility, and
much like unranked basketball prospects,
it gave me a chip on my shoulder that
helped drive me.
Failure #2:
When a sure thing fell through
Despite my average board score, I thankfully
was accepted into my fi rst choice for
orthodontics, the University of Tennesee.
My wife was working for an excellent threelocation
father-and-son practice in Memphis.
They were high-quality people and it was a
great opportunity. The son and I discussed
practicing together-even to the point that
he had me stand up at his offi ce Christmas
Orthotown December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown December 2021
