Orthotown March 24 - 22

MESSAGE BOARD 3
Tips Before Starting Residency
A young Townie starts a valuable discussion on future planning and expectations
fablabrador
Post: 1 of 4
2/18/2024
I graduated dental school in 2022, have been
working at a DSO since graduation and am starting
ortho residency this July. I have a fairly low dental
school loan balance (about $75,000), so at the end
of all this I would probably owe about $250,000-
$275,000 combined. I am single but am 90% sure
I will end up back home after residency to be close to
my parents/sister/nieces.
What would you have done differently going into
residency? One of my biggest regrets about dental
school is not taking on more challenging cases (hard
surgical extractions, crowns, etc.), so I want to take
on the hardest and most complicated ortho cases in
residency so I have the exposure for afterward.
What are job prospects for new-grad orthodontists
like? I will be entering a fairly saturated market,
and my plan is likely to split my time between a
DSO and a private group practice, with the eventual
goal of probably joining a group with potential for
partnership in the future. I realized I would not
like being solo because I value having colleagues to
collaborate with and potentially cover schedules in
case personal emergencies come up. n
A group practice is like a marriage; you'll be tied
to your partners in every aspect of your business and
treatment life. If you are an adaptable person and
have a little luck, you'll be able to have a wonderful
experience. However, I would say that for every great
partnership, there are two or more that don't work
or don't work well. It's not easy, but you can pull it off
if you're realistic about your expectations and look
for just the right person or group. n
dhmjdds
Post: 3 of 4
2/22/2024
The best residents take every chance to talk with
members of the faculty about everything they can
think of. Don't feel you have to pretend to understand
something. Ask questions. You'll be the most
popular resident with your fellow residents because
they also generally don't understand it but are too
cowed to ask the question.
Don't complain. It's tempting to make every
residents-only get-together a complaint session.
If something constantly comes up, take it to a person
who can change it. Have suggestions for a solution
before you do. Every program has its problems.
You most likely will not be able to choose which
socoortho
Post: 2 of 4
2/19/2024
There's no reason to take on the hardest, most
difficult cases-you need to learn the basics of tooth
movement and how to predictably diagnose and
finish a regular case. Every case is different and you
will learn from every single one you treat in school.
You won't be qualified to treat the difficult cases
until you treat the routine cases.
Any accredited program will keep you very
busy. I don't think you have to worry about doing
something extra-just be a good student and try to
absorb as much as you can.
cases get assigned to you, so expecting to get the
" harder " cases is more than you should be asking.
Your program director will do her/his best to evenly
distribute the cases to all the residents.
Orthodontics isn't at all like general dentistry.
The most important step is developing the treatment
plan, and then following it. n
Add more to this great thread online!
This thread is sure to gain traction, so head online
to check out the latest posts, share your advice and
read what other docs have to say about getting the
most out of residency and the profession at large.
To get started, head to orthotown.com/magazine
and click the link under Message Boards..
MARCH 2024 | 22 | ORTHOTOWN.COM
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